---
layout: page
title: "JavaScript trim function"
comments: true
sharing: true
footer: true
alias:
- /functions/view/trim:566
- /functions/view/trim
- /functions/view/566
- /functions/trim:566
- /functions/566
---
<!-- Generated by Rakefile:build -->
A JavaScript equivalent of PHP's trim

{% codeblock strings/trim.js lang:js https://raw.github.com/kvz/phpjs/master/functions/strings/trim.js raw on github %}
function trim (str, charlist) {
  // From: http://phpjs.org/functions
  // +   original by: Kevin van Zonneveld (http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net)
  // +   improved by: mdsjack (http://www.mdsjack.bo.it)
  // +   improved by: Alexander Ermolaev (http://snippets.dzone.com/user/AlexanderErmolaev)
  // +      input by: Erkekjetter
  // +   improved by: Kevin van Zonneveld (http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net)
  // +      input by: DxGx
  // +   improved by: Steven Levithan (http://blog.stevenlevithan.com)
  // +    tweaked by: Jack
  // +   bugfixed by: Onno Marsman
  // *     example 1: trim('    Kevin van Zonneveld    ');
  // *     returns 1: 'Kevin van Zonneveld'
  // *     example 2: trim('Hello World', 'Hdle');
  // *     returns 2: 'o Wor'
  // *     example 3: trim(16, 1);
  // *     returns 3: 6
  var whitespace, l = 0,
    i = 0;
  str += '';

  if (!charlist) {
    // default list
    whitespace = " \n\r\t\f\x0b\xa0\u2000\u2001\u2002\u2003\u2004\u2005\u2006\u2007\u2008\u2009\u200a\u200b\u2028\u2029\u3000";
  } else {
    // preg_quote custom list
    charlist += '';
    whitespace = charlist.replace(/([\[\]\(\)\.\?\/\*\{\}\+\$\^\:])/g, '$1');
  }

  l = str.length;
  for (i = 0; i < l; i++) {
    if (whitespace.indexOf(str.charAt(i)) === -1) {
      str = str.substring(i);
      break;
    }
  }

  l = str.length;
  for (i = l - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
    if (whitespace.indexOf(str.charAt(i)) === -1) {
      str = str.substring(0, i + 1);
      break;
    }
  }

  return whitespace.indexOf(str.charAt(0)) === -1 ? str : '';
}
{% endcodeblock %}

 - [Raw function on GitHub](https://github.com/kvz/phpjs/blob/master/functions/strings/trim.js)

Please note that php.js uses JavaScript objects as substitutes for PHP arrays, they are 
the closest match to this hashtable-like data structure. 

Please also note that php.js offers community built functions and goes by the 
[McDonald's Theory](https://medium.com/what-i-learned-building/9216e1c9da7d). We'll put online 
functions that are far from perfect, in the hopes to spark better contributions. 
Do you have one? Then please just: 

 - [Edit on GitHub](https://github.com/kvz/phpjs/edit/master/functions/strings/trim.js)

### Example 1
This code
{% codeblock lang:js example %}
trim('    Kevin van Zonneveld    ');
{% endcodeblock %}

Should return
{% codeblock lang:js returns %}
'Kevin van Zonneveld'
{% endcodeblock %}

### Example 2
This code
{% codeblock lang:js example %}
trim('Hello World', 'Hdle');
{% endcodeblock %}

Should return
{% codeblock lang:js returns %}
'o Wor'
{% endcodeblock %}

### Example 3
This code
{% codeblock lang:js example %}
trim(16, 1);
{% endcodeblock %}

Should return
{% codeblock lang:js returns %}
6
{% endcodeblock %}


### Other PHP functions in the strings extension
{% render_partial _includes/custom/strings.html %}