title: How do I take a subset of a string in MATLAB
body: <p>Given a string that represents the name of a person, how do I get the first two characters of this string as a new variable?</p>
  
  <p>Is there a function in MATLAB that can do this, or do I need to program it in a MATLAB code file?</p>
  
  <pre><code>Jack --&gt; Ja
  Cleve --&gt; Cl
  </code></pre>