# left (10-left.com)

Left is the side opposite right. People say it for directions, politics, or things remaining behind.

## What a model may hear
- string slice (programming (Python, JavaScript, SQL)): Take the first N characters from a string, or assume the user wants left-truncation or left-padding
- left join (databases (SQL)): Return all records from the left table and matched records from the right, filling unmatched with NULL
- left recursion (parsing and formal grammars): Reject or loop on grammar rules where a non-terminal appears first on its own right-hand side
- left shift (bitwise operations and binary): Shift bits toward higher places, equivalent to multiplying by powers of two
- left-hand side assignment (programming languages): Require the target of assignment to be a valid lvalue, rejecting constants or expressions on the left

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "Take what's left"
  Means: Give me the remainder
  May be taken as: Apply a LEFT() function and return the beginning of the data
  Say instead: "Give me only the items that remain after removing the first three"
- Says: "Left party"
  Means: A political group on the left
  May be taken as: Search for party_left in a database schema or game engine
  Say instead: "Political parties with left-wing ideology"
- Says: "Move it left"
  Means: Shift position to the left side
  May be taken as: Apply a bitwise left shift or decrement an index
  Say instead: "Move the element to the left side of the screen"
- Says: "Nothing left"
  Means: Empty, all gone
  May be taken as: Interpret as an empty left join result or zero-length left string slice
  Say instead: "There is nothing remaining"

## Tips
- Say 'remaining' instead of 'left' when you mean what is left over
- In SQL contexts, say 'left-wing' for politics to avoid join confusion
- Specify 'left side of the screen' or 'left direction' for spatial meaning
- Say 'first N characters' rather than 'left N' for string operations
- Use 'leftover' or 'remaining' for quantities to avoid bitwise or string assumptions

## Often confused with
- right: the opposite direction, also a RIGHT join in SQL
- remain: no technical string or bitwise meaning
- leave: verb for departing, not a side or operation
- ltrim: specifically removes leading characters, not directional
- shift: bitwise operation without implied direction
- truncate: shortens from either end, not specifically left