How to Use str_trim in R (With Examples)

The str_trim() function from the stringr package in R can be used to trim whitespace from a string.

This function uses the following syntax:

str_trim(string, side = c(“both”, “left”, “right”))

where:

string: Character vector
pattern: Side on which to remove whitespace

The following examples show how to use this function in practice

Example 1: Trim Whitespace from Left Side

The following code shows how to use the str_trim() function to trim whitespace from the left side of a string:

library(stringr)

#create string
my_string <- "   Hey there everyone.  "

#view string
my_string

[1] "   Hey there everyone.  "

#create new string with white space removed from left
new_string <- str_trim(my_string, side="left")

#view new string
new_string

[1] "Hey there everyone.  "

Notice that all of the whitespace on the left side of the string has been trimmed.

Example 2: Trim Whitespace from Right Side

The following code shows how to use the str_trim() function to trim whitespace from the right side of a string:

library(stringr)

#create string
my_string <- "   Hey there everyone.  "

#view string
my_string

[1] "   Hey there everyone.  "

#create new string with white space removed from right
new_string <- str_trim(my_string, side="right")

#view new string
new_string

[1] "   Hey there everyone."

Notice that all of the whitespace on the right side of the string has been trimmed.

Example 3: Trim Whitespace from Both Sides

The following code shows how to use the str_trim() function to trim whitespace from both sides of a string:

library(stringr)

#create string
my_string <- "   Hey there everyone.  "

#view string
my_string

[1] "   Hey there everyone.  "

#create new string with white space removed from both sides
new_string <- str_trim(my_string, side="both")

#view new string
new_string

[1] "Hey there everyone."

Notice that all of the whitespace on both sides of the string have been trimmed.