Update of /cvsroot/python/python/dist/src/Doc/lib In directory sc8-pr-cvs1.sourceforge.net:/tmp/cvs-serv21101 Modified Files: Tag: release24-maint libstdtypes.tex Log Message: SF bug #1202395: Description of string.lstrip() needs improvement Clarify the role of the chars argument in the strip() methods. Index: libstdtypes.tex =================================================================== RCS file: /cvsroot/python/python/dist/src/Doc/lib/libstdtypes.tex,v retrieving revision 1.170.2.8 retrieving revision 1.170.2.9 diff -u -d -r1.170.2.8 -r1.170.2.9 --- libstdtypes.tex 27 May 2005 10:45:14 -0000 1.170.2.8 +++ libstdtypes.tex 31 May 2005 10:28:07 -0000 1.170.2.9 @@ -699,11 +699,17 @@ \end{methoddesc} \begin{methoddesc}[string]{lstrip}{\optional{chars}} -Return a copy of the string with leading characters removed. If -\var{chars} is omitted or \code{None}, whitespace characters are -removed. If given and not \code{None}, \var{chars} must be a string; -the characters in the string will be stripped from the beginning of -the string this method is called on. +Return a copy of the string with leading characters removed. The +\var{chars} argument is a string specifying the set of characters +to be removed. If omitted or \code{None}, the \var{chars} argument +defaults to removing whitespace. The \var{chars} argument is not +a prefix; rather, all combinations of its values are stripped: +\begin{verbatim} + >>> ' spacious '.lstrip() + 'spacious ' + >>> 'www.example.com'.lstrip('cmowz.') + 'example.com' +\end{verbatim} \versionchanged[Support for the \var{chars} argument]{2.2.2} \end{methoddesc} @@ -745,11 +751,17 @@ \end{methoddesc} \begin{methoddesc}[string]{rstrip}{\optional{chars}} -Return a copy of the string with trailing characters removed. If -\var{chars} is omitted or \code{None}, whitespace characters are -removed. If given and not \code{None}, \var{chars} must be a string; -the characters in the string will be stripped from the end of the -string this method is called on. +Return a copy of the string with trailing characters removed. The +\var{chars} argument is a string specifying the set of characters +to be removed. If omitted or \code{None}, the \var{chars} argument +defaults to removing whitespace. The \var{chars} argument is not +a suffix; rather, all combinations of its values are stripped: +\begin{verbatim} + >>> ' spacious '.rstrip() + ' spacious' + >>> 'mississippi'.rstrip('ipz') + 'mississ' +\end{verbatim} \versionchanged[Support for the \var{chars} argument]{2.2.2} \end{methoddesc} @@ -791,11 +803,17 @@ \end{methoddesc} \begin{methoddesc}[string]{strip}{\optional{chars}} -Return a copy of the string with leading and trailing characters -removed. If \var{chars} is omitted or \code{None}, whitespace -characters are removed. If given and not \code{None}, \var{chars} -must be a string; the characters in the string will be stripped from -the both ends of the string this method is called on. +Return a copy of the string with the leading and trailing characters +removed. The \var{chars} argument is a string specifying the set of +characters to be removed. If omitted or \code{None}, the \var{chars} +argument defaults to removing whitespace. The \var{chars} argument is not +a prefix or suffix; rather, all combinations of its values are stripped: +\begin{verbatim} + >>> ' spacious '.strip() + 'spacious' + >>> 'www.example.com'.strip('cmowz.') + 'example' +\end{verbatim} \versionchanged[Support for the \var{chars} argument]{2.2.2} \end{methoddesc}