Return the first digit

[Boris_Maximov]

How to get the first digit of a number? Like “4” from “413”

[Chris-T]

Hi Boris. If it’s a string as you’ve indicated by the double quotes, you would use

LEFT({field name}, 1)

If it’s a numeric field, then you could use

LEFT({field name}&'', 1)

which returns a string. If you want to return a number, then use

VALUE(LEFT({field name}&'', 1))

[Boris_Maximov]

Chris-T:

VALUE(LEFT({field name}&'', 1))

Thank you for the quick reply! I’d like to return a number from a number.

[Boris_Maximov]

Chris-T:

{field name}&''

If I make a new formula field with

{field name}&''

where field name is a numeric integer field Airtable breaks down with no reaction. The formula is supposed to return the string from the number though, right?

[Chris-T]

Hi Boris. Use the last formula I gave you in the second post and replace {field name} with the name of your number field in curly braces like that. Make sense?

[Boris_Maximov]

Hi Chris, thank you, but unfortunately it doesn’t work with the curly braces and the &-sign. The system breaks down. Though, it works with

CONCATENATE({field name})

[Chris-T]

Great! Glad it’s working for you.

[Justin_Barrett]

Boris_Maximov:

unfortunately it doesn’t work with the curly braces and the &-sign.

That’s really bizarre. Would you mind sharing a screenshot of the formula that you tried with these options, and the error message that it gives you? My gut says that there’s a typo somewhere.