What is the string.strip method in python?

The strip method will remove a set of leading and trailing characters in a string and return a new string.

Syntax

string.strip([chars_to_remove])

The strip() method

The strip method will first loop through all the characters from the start of the string and then loop from the end of the string.

On looping, the current character of the string is present in the passed chars_to_remove is checked.

• If the current character is present in the chars_to_remove then that character will be removed.

• If the current character is not present, then the looping is stopped.

Parameter

chars - set of characters to be removed from the string’s leading position (starting) and trailing (end).

It is an optional argument. By default, the leading and trailing spaces are removed.

Return value

A new string in which the passed set of characters are removed.

Code

Example 1

string = "   space at start and end is removed      ";
string.strip();

Explanation 1

In the code above, we have a string with whitespace at the start and end of the string.

When we call the strip method without any argument, the space at the string’s beginning and end is removed.

Example 2

string = "sun raises";
string.strip("se"); #pace set

Explanation 2

In the code above, we have a sun raises string and called the strip('s') method.

The strip method will first loop the string space set from the beginning

• First char - s is present in the passed argument, so it is removed from the string. Now the result string is un raises.

• Second char - u is not present in the passed argument so looping is stopped and the string un raises is returned.

The strip method will then loop the string space set from the end

• Last char - s is present in the passed argument so it is removed from the string. Now the result string is un raise.

• Second last char - e is present in the passed argument so it is removed from the string. Now the result string is un rais.

• Third last char - s is present in the passed argument so it is removed from the string. Now the result string is un rai.

• Fourth last char - i is not present in the passed argument, so looping is stopped and the string un rai is returned.

Complete example