MID extracts characters from the middle of a text value using a 1-based starting position. =MID("Calligra";2;3) is expected to return all. Calligra also accepts the two-argument form =MID("Calligra";2), which is expected to return alligra. These are source/documentation-checked expectations, not observations from a running Calligra instance.

=MID(text;position;[length])

• text — required text, a cell reference containing text, or a value convertible to text. The first argument is the source string.
• position — required integer start position, counted from 1 for the first character. A position beyond the end returns empty text in KDE’s unit-test fixture. Use positive positions for portability.
• length — optional in Calligra (third argument); when omitted, the function returns the remaining text from position to the end. A zero length yields empty text. For a positive specified length longer than what remains, it returns only the available characters.
• Return — text. There is no padding when the requested length is longer than the remainder. Integer-like inputs are converted to integers by the pinned C++ implementation; test floating and locale-sensitive conversions in the installed version.

Alias note: the 26.08.2 registration gives MIDB as alternate name(s) for MID; the older handbook describes B-suffix byte semantics separately. this guide treats them as aliases, not proof of native Unicode/byte equivalence.

Version and evidence: The KDE Sheets function handbook and the pinned Calligra 26.08.2 text function code were checked on 2026-10-11. The code is release-registry/implementation evidence, not native execution proof. The 26.08.2 release announcement is dated 2026-10-08. For a particular installed package, confirm the version and enabled modules.

Formula entry and locale: Formulas begin with =. The English KDE reference uses semicolons to separate parameters, and all examples use English names and plain-ASCII text. Excel English-language reference pages typically show commas instead. Language packs, decimal notation and installed spreadsheet settings can affect formula entry. Paste the formula into a blank cell or use the function assistant to confirm the separator for your installation; do not assume a comma-formatted Excel formula always parses unchanged.

1. On a new blank sheet, enter A1 = Input text and B1 = Formula / result.
2. Enter each source text in A2 onward as shown in the table. For example, A2 = SKU-2187-BL.
3. Enter the shown formula in B2 onward. Use semicolons as shown in the handbook, or adapt the argument separator only if your local app requires it.
4. Compare the displayed result with the expected result. Text 0042 should not be coerced to number 42; (empty text) represents the empty string, not literal parentheses.

Validation label — independent calculation, not native execution: each expected result was recalculated using a separate Python string manipulation (ASCII-only for these inputs). The results are also consistent with the pinned implementation and relevant KDE unit-test expectations where available. A local Calligra Sheets 26.08.2 application was not available in this run; there are zero observed runtime outputs.

Parse a delimited ID without hard-coding its start

With A2 = SKU-2187-BL, a documented pattern for obtaining the four-digit identifier is:

=MID(A2;FIND("-";A2)+1;4)

Expected result: 2187. FIND locates the first hyphen at position 4, and MID starts immediately after it. This pattern is best for IDs with a fixed four-character middle code. It is not a general parser for missing delimiters or variable-length IDs; guard dirty data with IFERROR or validate the input first.

Preserve leading zeroes

With A8 = JOB-0042, =MID(A8;5;4) yields text 0042, retaining the zeros. Avoid converting the extracted code to a number if those zeros are part of an identifier. In a separate cell =LEN(MID(A8;5;4)) is expected to return 4.

When character length differs from byte length

The 26.08.2 registry aliases MIDB to the same implementation as MID, even though the older handbook describes MIDB in terms of byte positions. Do not assume Unicode/multibyte behaviour matches Microsoft Excel MIDB; our plain-ASCII examples do not establish how surrogate pairs, emoji, combining marks or byte offsets behave in a native installation.

• Negative start position: the pinned C++ implementation returns a #VALUE!-class error for a negative position. The documented, portable input domain is position 1 or greater. Position zero is an ambiguous edge case in the pinned implementation; do not use it without native verification.
• Missing argument: both text and position are required; length is not. Leaving out position or using too many arguments does not match the 2–3-argument registry.
• Negative length: the documented purpose requires a nonnegative count; the C++ path includes a negative-length error check. Avoid negative counts, and do not claim all numeric conversions are identical between programs.
• Start beyond the string: KDE’s TestTextFunctions::testMID fixture expects an empty string for MID("123456789";20;3).
• 0042 becomes 42: the result is text until you convert it; use LEN or set the receiving column to Text if an import/conversion operation changes the type.
• Localized separators: the English Calligra handbook prints semicolons (;) between arguments. Formula entry/decimal conventions can depend on app settings; use the function dialog or in-app help when importing formulas from comma-separated Excel examples.

Microsoft Excel: MID(text,start_num,num_chars) requires all three parameters; Calligra accepts two. Change =MID(A4;3) to =MID(A4,3,LEN(A4)) for English Excel-style formulas. Position and length logic are broadly comparable for ordinary ASCII text, but Unicode counting differs by engine and compatibility mode; do not promise byte-for-byte equality. Microsoft MID reference.

LibreOffice Calc / other spreadsheet tools: similar MID functions often exist, but this guide has not runtime-tested their optional-argument policies, localization, or character counting. Verify against those products’ versioned help before copying an omitted-length formula.

• Calligra Sheets — function documentation
• Calligra 26.08.2 text function code
• 26.08.2 release announcement
• FIND
• LEFT
• RIGHT
• LEN

Verification status: Official documentation checked; example outcomes were independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where applicable. Not executed in Calligra Sheets.

• No genuine Calligra Sheets screenshots are included; this guide does not use mock application images.