# MID

## Content

This function returns the requested number of characters from a text string starting at the position you specify.

## Syntax

`MID(text, start_num, num_chars)`

## Arguments

This function has these arguments:

| Argument | Description |
| -------- | ----------- |
| *text* | [Required] Text string containing the characters you want to extract |
| *start\_num* | [Required] Number representing the first character you want to extract in text, with the first character in the text having a value of one (1); if not an integer, the number is truncated |
| *num\_chars* | [Required] Number of characters to return from text; if not an integer, the number is truncated |

The *text* argument can be a string, a formula that returns a string, or a reference to a cell containing a string. The *start\_num* argument has these rules

* If *start\_num* is greater than the length of *text* , this function returns "" (empty text).
* If *start\_num* is less than the length of *text* , but *start\_num* plus *num\_chars* exceeds the length of *text* , this function returns the characters up to the end of text.

## Examples

`MID(B17,5,8)`
`MID("wind surfing", 6, 20)` gives the result surfing