MID (Primitive Spread Function) returns the requested number of characters from a text string starting at the position you specify.

SYNTAX:

MID(Text, Start_num, Num_chars)

REMARKS:

Arguments are as follows:

Argument Description 
Text Text string containing the characters you want to extract. 
Start_num Position of the first character you want to extract in text. The first character in text has a Start_num value of 1. 
Num_chars Specifies how many characters to return from text. 

The Text argument can be a string, a formula that returns a string, or a reference to a cell containing a string.

Note the following about the Start_num argument:

• If Start_num is greater than the length of text, MID returns "" (empty text).
  
• If Start_num is less than the length of text, but Start_num plus Num_chars exceeds the length of text, MID returns the characters up to the end of text. 

EXAMPLES:

MID("wind surfing", 6, 20) equals surfing