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Python String lstrip() and rstrip() Functions [with Coding Examples]

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In our Python String strip() function [with coding examples] article, we discussed the strip() function in Python; we used it to remove unwanted whitespaces and unwanted characters/string from the specified string’s leading and trailing positions. Python has two more methods similar to the strip() method, which are the lstrip() and rstrip() methods.

We use the strip() method to remove unwanted whitespaces or characters/strings from both sides of the given string. What if we want to remove them from only one side? We can use lstrip() and rstrip() methods to serve this purpose. We use the lstrip() method to remove unwanted whitespaces or characters/strings from the given string’s left-side position. And the rstrip() method is used to remove unwanted whitespaces or characters/strings from the given string’s right side.

Both lstrip() and rstrip() methods accept only one argument as a parameter, that is, character/string. This parameter is optional.

Syntax of the lstrip() Method

string.lstrip([character])
Here in lstrip(), we can pass a character or a string as the parameter; the lstrip() method will remove that from the string’s leading position, i.e., left-hand side. The parameter is optional, so if we are not passing the character/string as a parameter, the lstrip() method will remove the whitespaces from the start by default. After removing, the lstrip() method will return the original string’s copy.

Syntax of the rstrip() Method

string.rstrip([character])
Likewise, lstrip() here again, we will pass a character/string as a parameter to the rstrip() method, and it will remove the characters from the trailing position of the string, i.e., the right-hand side. The parameter is optional, so if we do not pass the character/string as a parameter, the rstrip() method will remove the whitespaces from the end by default and return the original string’s copy. If the specified parameter and matches the within the actual string, it will remove the specified characters/string and return the string’s rest. If the specified character/string does not match the original string’s characters, it will return the string as it is. Let’s have a look at examples of both methods.

Example: lstrip() Method

Code

string = "!Welcome to Code Leaks!"
striped_string = string.lstrip("!")
print(striped_string)

Output

Example of lstrip() method

Example: rstrip() Method

Code:

string = "!Welcome to Code Leaks!"
striped_string = string.rstrip()
print(striped_string)

Output

Example of rstrip() method

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed the lstrip() and rstrip() methods in Python, which we use to remove unwanted whitespaces/characters/string from a given string either from the left or right. The lstrip() method removes it from the string’s left side, and the rstrip() method removes it from the right side of the string.

Read Also: Python String strip() Function [with Coding Examples]