Python Remove Last Character from String

A Python String refers to the combination of characters enclosed in single quotes or double quotes. The string remains the well-known data and variable type of Python. Besides, Python experts know how important the different methods through which the string is manipulated are.

Some of these methods include String slicing techniques, string methods, and looping over the elements. What can you do when you find yourself in a situation where it’s necessary to remove the last character from python which you mistakenly added? We have provided you with the best answer in this article. 

So, kindly sit back and learn how to remove the last character from a string in Python.

Methods of Removing Last Character from String in Python

It’s good that you’re still reading! In this section, we’ll be discussing several methods you can use to easily delete the last character from string. Each of the methods comes with different steps which you need to properly observe and apply accordingly. Check them out.

Method 1: Python remove last character from string – Using Positive Slicing

The process is easy under this method. Since python string type is just a list of characters, so to delete the last character, what you need to do is remove the last item you see on the list.

In simple words, slicing refers to the act of changing a variable into the list and working item by item. How then can you use list slicing to remove the last item? If you check, you will see square brackets. These offer proper definitions to the list items. Inside the brackets, you can clearly specify the index of the items. The first step to take is to get the length of the list, then delete the last character by placing the end Index before the final character.

Check below for an explicit example:

name= “Nested loopP”

name_len = len(name)

new_name = name[:name_len-1]

print(new_name)

When the last character “P” is removed, the output will be

nested loop

Method 2: Python remove last character from string – Using Negative Slicing

By now you have understood perfectly that slicing is an ideal way to delete the last character from the string. In the first method, we’ve shown you how positive slicing is usable. Nonetheless, another alternative way to remove or delete the last character from the string is by accessing the provided negative slicing.  The interesting part of this is that this method is even easier to understand and implement.

Here, there is no need for the calculation and the use of the string length. What you do when using negative slicing is to provide the end index before as -1. For negative index numbers, you start from the reverse, implying that -1 simply refers to the index that comes right before the final character index.

name = ‘Nested loopP”

new_name = name [: -1]

print(new_name)

When the last character “P” is removed, the output will be

Nested loop

Method 3: Python remove last character from string – Using the rstrip function

The rstrip is a function or method provided by python to remove character from the right side of the string.

Note: the end of the string and the right side of the string are the same. So, you can remove the last character from the given string using the rstrip.

Furthermore, you should know that every string type provides the rstrip. Besides, removing or deleting the last character of the string can be done in a single line of code by providing the last character of the string with the negative index -1.

name=”Nested loopP”

new_name = name.rstrip(name [-1])

print(new_name)

When the last character “P” is removed, the output will be

Nested loop

Method 4: Python remove last character from string – Using for loop

Using for loop is an easy method you can use to remove or delete the last character from the string. It requires taking out the length of the string from the len () function. Then, you can go ahead to take an empty string. Thereafter, run the loop from 0 to 1–2 and add the string to the empty string. The output will be printed as the remaining string.

For a good understanding, check out the example below

name= “Nested loopP”

n = 1

new_name= “”

for i in range(len(name) – n):

    new_name= new_name+ name[i]

print(new_name)

When the last character “P” is removed, the output will be

Nested loop

What we’ve done here is take the sample name ” Nested loopP”, calculate the length of the string via the () function, take an empty string to add the string to form the new name, use the for loop from the 0th index to 1-2 (each in repetition in form of a loop) to append the character in the empty string, and print the new name. The output then indicates that the last character has been successfully removed.

Method 5: Python remove last character from string – Using regex

Python experts use Regex (Regular Expression) to define and match text and character patterns. There are numerous useful specifiers provided by Regex – some of these include end of the line, multiple characters, and so on. With this, you can delete the last character from string. To use this method, the re module is expected to be imported while the sub method will be used as a substitute for the provided regex pattern.

import re

def another_group(m):

   return m.group(1)

name=”Nested loopP”

new_name = re.sub(“(.*)(.{1}$)”,another_group,name)

print(new_name)

When the last character “P” is removed, the output will be

Nested loop

Conclusion

We believe by now you’ve learned the most important part of Python remove last character from string. As deeply explained with the help of examples, you should know that all these methods including the use of positive slicing, negative slicing, rstrip function, for loop, and regex, are straightforward and easy to apply. We even use this in our brute force password cracking software.

Moreover, keep in mind that the easiest and basic methods to remove the last character from string are positive and negative indexes.  Any of these methods are available for use provided that you like it and it goes according to your project or program requirement.