Python String | strip()

The strip() method in-built function of Python is used to remove all the leading and trailing spaces from a string.

Syntax :string.strip([chars])

Parameter:

chars(optional): Character or a set of characters, that needs to be removed from the string.

Returns: A copy of the string with both leading and trailing characters stripped.

Using strip() method:

• In case the character of the string to the left doesn’t match with the characters in the char parameter, the method stops removing the leading characters.
• In case the character of the string to the right doesn’t match with the characters in the char parameter, the method stops removing the trailing characters.

Example #1: 

Python3

# Python code to illustrate the working of strip()
string = '   Geeks for Geeks   '

# Leading spaces are removed
print(string.strip())

# Geeks is removed
print(string.strip('   Geeks'))

# Not removed since the spaces do not match
print(string.strip('Geeks'))

Output :

Geeks for Geeks
for
   Geeks for Geeks   

Example #2:

Python3

# Python code to illustrate the working of strip()
string = '@@@@Geeks for Geeks@@@@@'

# Strip all '@' from beginning and ending
print(string.strip('@'))

string = 'www.Geeksforgeeks.org'

# '.grow' removes 'www' and 'org' and '.'
print(string.strip('.grow'))

Output:

Geeks for Geeks
Geeksforgeeks

Example #3:
The following code shows an application of strip() in python. 

Python3

# Python code to check for identifiers
def Count(string):

    print("Length before strip()")
    print(len(string))

    # Using strip() to remove white spaces
    str = string.strip()
    print("Length after removing spaces")
    return str


# Driver Code
string = "  Geeks for Geeks   "
print(len(Count(string)))

Output:

Length before strip()
17
Length after removing spaces
15