The '''MID$''' function returns a portion of a [[STRING]]'s value from any position inside a string.



{{PageSyntax}}
:: MID$(''stringvalue$'', ''startposition%''[, ''bytes%''])


''[[Parameters]]:''
* ''stringvalue'' can be any literal or variable [[STRING]] value having a length. See [[LEN]].
* ''startposition'' designates the non-zero position of the first character to be returned by the function.
* ''bytes'' (optional) tells the function how many characters to return including the first character when it is used. 

''Usage:''
* When the ''bytes'' value is not used the function returns the remainder of the string from the starting character  position.
* Number of character ''bytes'' should be within the string's [[LEN|length]] from the start position, but will only return the string's remainder when exceeded.
* If the ''bytes'' value is 0 or the ''start position'' is 0 or greater than the [[LEN|length]] of the string, nothing is returned (no error).
* In QBasic the ''start position'' cannot be zero(0) or an [[ERROR Codes|Illegal function call error]] will occur.


''Example:'' Getting the hour and minutes from [[TIME$]]
{{CodeStart}} '' ''
{{Cl|PRINT}} {{Cl|TIME$}}

hour$ = {{Cl|LEFT$}}({{Cl|TIME$}}, 2)
minutes$ = {{Cl|MID$}}({{Cl|TIME$}}, 4, 2) ' skip hours and the colon (3 characters)

{{Cl|PRINT}} "hour = "; hour$; ": minutes = "; minutes$ '' ''
{{CodeEnd}} 

{{OutputStart}}
11:23:30
hour = 11: minutes = 23
{{OutputEnd}}


''See also:''
* [[MID$ (statement)]], [[LEFT$]], [[RIGHT$]]
* [[LTRIM$]], [[RTRIM$]], [[INSTR]], [[LEN]] 


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