# Error Using $cutright, $mid, $left with $len
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/error-using-cutright-mid-left-with-len/61290
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [June 18, 2023, 2:35pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/error-using-cutright-mid-left-with-len/61290 "2023-06-18T14:35:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dec](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dec)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2023, 2:35pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/error-using-cutright-mid-left-with-len/61290/1 "2023-06-18T14:35:34Z")
the fix is simple enough logically - i simply wanted too truncate the Title by 65 chars ie removethe last chars of title
1. of course with data like this the Title length ie $len is totally variable so no fixed parameters can be used
2. there is no simple $truncate function
3. NONE of $left, $mid, or $cutright would work with $len to remove the last 6 chars
see various attached examples
4. if i used $len with another PH, eg Artist, it worked, ie, if i wanted, i could truncate the Title by the length of the Artist field, which is fine - if you want to do that
5. but if you want to take a fixed number of the length to KEEp ie in this case Title Length - 6, no combination would work
6. it just didn't do anything, ie THIS is what would not work ... eg %title, $len(%title)-6. as per attachments, no matter which function i used
7. as i think i might have said before, a $TRUNC(x,n or field) function would be so much eaisr
PS i find i have to be ultra careful because i am using MP3Tag and AIMP Tag Edfitor and Bulk Rename Utility, simultaneously, and the PH and functions are very similar - but different. very easy to get them mixed up when using
, the '-6' would not work
.
---
### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 18, 2023, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/error-using-cutright-mid-left-with-len/61290/2 "2023-06-18T14:44:13Z")
To subtract values, use $sub()
See the documentation:
> **[Scripting Functions – Mp3tag Documentation](https://docs.mp3tag.de/scripting/#arithmetic-functions)**
>
> Documentation on Mp3tag's scripting functions. Mp3tag is the universal Tag Editor.
---
### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2023, 6:19am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/error-using-cutright-mid-left-with-len/61290/3 "2023-06-19T06:19:47Z")
> [@dec](#):
>
> the fix is simple enough logically - i simply wanted too truncate the Title by 65 chars ie removethe last chars of title
You write in the topic title, that `$cutright` does not work for you.
If I try it with your mentioned track title
`Twenty Tiny Fingers (Alma Cogan) (The Fabulous Fifties - Thest of the Fab 50s) (2005) (144kbits)158453`
I get this in the preview of Convert Tag-\>Tag
Why should this not work for you?
From the already linked documentation:
If you want to solve it with an Action, you could try "Format value":
* * *
> [@dec](#):
>
> NONE of $left, $mid, or $cutright would work with $len to remove the last 6 chars
> see various attached examples
If you need to cut a variable number of characters with the length of ARTIST, this would work too:
_(this example assumes, that the current content of ARTIST has 6 characters)_
---
### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2023, 6:49am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/error-using-cutright-mid-left-with-len/61290/4 "2023-06-19T06:49:44Z")
> [@dec](#):
>
> as i think i might have said before, a $TRUNC(x,n or field) function would be so much eaisr
Usually, a TRUNC function only returns a number truncated to a specified number of digits.
It is not applicable to text in most variants.
The `$cutRight(x,n)` and `$cutLeft(x,n)` scripting functions of Mp3tag does exactly what you are looking for:
Removing the last or first `n` characters of the string `x` = returning the "truncated" string
---
### Author:  [@dec](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dec)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2023, 12:09pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/error-using-cutright-mid-left-with-len/61290/5 "2023-06-22T12:09:20Z")
this might help me.
let me check. i have tried sooo many variations ...
now on this ppint, i was trying something, but was apparently stymied because it didn't take a PH variable .... let me find that to show you,
and so the next thing was how to achieve the desired result without using a PH directly...
i will come back and paste image
so what do you do instead?
---
### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2023, 12:33pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/error-using-cutright-mid-left-with-len/61290/6 "2023-06-22T12:33:23Z")
Please don't cross-post!
(You have already asked the same in [this thread](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/odd-replace-treats-artist-as-a-literal/61321))
Use an action " **Format value**" to rename your track filenames.
Don't use "Replace" as @poster [already told you](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/odd-replace-treats-artist-as-a-literal/61321/6).
Use a format string with something like this:
`$num(%TRACK%,2). $cutRight(%ARTIST%,9) - %TITLE%`
This would result in a filename like:
`01. Abba - Waterloo.mp3`
Or just reduce the format string to your example
`%ARTIST%`
if you only want to see the full content of ARTIST as your new track filename.
For my above example this would result in this trackname:
`Abba and more.mp3`
---
### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2023, 9:34am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/error-using-cutright-mid-left-with-len/61290/7 "2023-06-23T09:34:07Z")