SubString

SQL

SELECT SUBSTR(CSUSER01.LASTNAME, 0, 2) AS LASTNAME01
  FROM CSUSER CSUSER01
 WHERE 1=1

XML query API

<query alias="testSubString" projectedClass="com.taleo.akirademo.entity.Candidate">
    <projections>
        <projection>
            <substring>
                <field path="lastName"/>
                <integer>0</integer>
                <integer>2</integer>
            </substring>
        </projection>
    </projections>
</query>