diff --git a/StringUtils.php b/StringUtils.php
index 0719f76..99eca74 100644
--- a/StringUtils.php
+++ b/StringUtils.php
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 class StringUtils extends \ExternalModules\AbstractExternalModule {
 
-    const annotation = ["@TOLOWER", "@TOUPPER", "@SUBSTR", "@LTRIM", "@RTRIM", "@TRIM", "@STRLEN", "@INDEXOF", "@CONCAT", "@RIGHT"];
+    const annotation = ["@TOLOWER", "@TOUPPER", "@SUBSTR", "@LTRIM", "@RTRIM", "@TRIM", "@STRLEN", "@INDEXOF", "@CONCAT", "@RIGHT", "@LEFT"];
 
 
     public function redcap_data_entry_form($project_id, $record, $instrument, $event_id, $group_id, $repeat_instance)
@@ -137,6 +137,16 @@ public function getListenersFromAnot($field_annotation, $field, $annotation, arr
                 }
                 $listeners[$selectedFields[0]] .= '$("input[name=\'' . $destinationField . '\']").val($("input[name=\'' . $selectedFields[0] . '\']").val().substr($("input[name=\'' . $selectedFields[0] . '\']").val().length - ' . $selectedFields[1] . ', $("input[name=\'' . $selectedFields[0] . '\']").val().length));';
                 break;
+            case "@LEFT":
+                $selectedFields = explode(",", $sourceField);
+                if (!is_numeric($selectedFields[1])) {
+                    $warnings [] = 'For field: ' . $destinationField . ' ' . $selectedFields[1] . ' is not numeric';
+                }
+                if (!in_array($selectedFields[0], $fieldNames)) {
+                    $warnings [] = 'For field: ' . $destinationField . ' ' . $selectedFields[0] . ' is not a field.';
+                }
+                $listeners[$selectedFields[0]] .= '$("input[name=\'' . $destinationField . '\']").val($("input[name=\'' . $selectedFields[0] . '\']").val().substr(0, '.$selectedFields[1].'));';
+                break;
             case "@CONCAT":
                 $sourceFieldsConcat = [];
                 $explodedSource = explode (",", $sourceField);
diff --git a/howto.html b/howto.html
index a47381c..4e22a1b 100644
--- a/howto.html
+++ b/howto.html
@@ -100,6 +100,15 @@ <h1><span class="glyphicon glyphicon-info-sign"></span> How to use the StringUti
                                     Takes a part of a string from <code>start</code>, returns the specified number of characters (<code>length</code>). <code>start</code> and <code>length</code> must be valid integers.
                                 </td>
                             </tr>
+                            <tr>
+                                <td>
+                                    @LEFT=sourcefieldnamehere,length
+                                </td>
+                                <td>
+                                    Returns the <code>length</code> number of characters from the start of a text string.
+                                </td>
+                            </tr>
+                            <tr>
                             <tr>
                                 <td>
                                     @RIGHT=sourcefieldnamehere,length