Python String rstrip()

Summary: in this tutorial, you’ll learn how to use the Python String rstrip() method to return a copy of a string with the trailing characters removed.

Introduction to Python string rstrip() method

The rstrip() method returns a copy of a string with the trailing characters removed.

The following shows the syntax of the rstrip() method:

str.rstrip([chars])Code language: Python (python)

The rstrip() method has one optional argument chars.

The chars argument is a string that specifies a set of characters which the rstrip() method will remove from the copy of the str.

If you omit the chars argument or use None, the chars argument defaults to whitespace characters. In this case, the rstrip() method will remove the trailing whitespace characters from the copy of the str.

The following are whitespace characters in Python:

• ' ' – the space character
• \t – the tab character
• \n – the newline or linefeed character
• \r – the carriage return
• \x0b – the vertical tab. It can be also expressed as \v.
• \x0c – the form feed character that forces a printer to move the next sheet of paper. It’s also expressed as \f.

Python string rstrip() method examples

Let’s take some examples of using the string rstrip() method.

1) Using the rstrip() method to remove the trailing whitespace characters

The following example illustrates how to use the rstrip() method to return a copy of a string with the trailing whitespace characters removed:

s = 'Now is better than never. \n'
print(s)

new_s = s.rstrip()
print(new_s)Code language: Python (python)

Output:

Now is better than never.

Now is better than never.Code language: Python (python)

In this example, the string s contains a trailing space and a newline character.

Because we didn’t pass any argument to the rstrip() method, it returned a copy of the string s with all the trailing whitespace characters removed.

2) Using the rstrip() method to remove the trailing characters

The following example uses the rstrip() method to return a copy of a string with trailing characters . and # removed:

heading = 'Section 1. Issue #15.....'
new_heading = heading.rstrip('.#')

print(new_heading)Code language: Python (python)

Output:

Section 1. Issue #15Code language: Python (python)

Summary

• Use the Python string rstrip(chars) method to return a copy of a string with the trailing characters removed.
• Use the rstrip() method without argument to return a copy of a string with the trailing whitespace removed.