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Trim

Removes specified characters from the beginning and/or end of a string.

Common Properties​

  • Name - The custom name of the node.
  • Color - The custom color of the node.
  • Delay Before (sec) - Waits in seconds before executing the node.
  • Delay After (sec) - Waits in seconds after executing node.
  • Continue On Error - Automation will continue regardless of any error. The default value is false.
info

If the ContinueOnError property is true, no error is caught when the project is executed, even if a Catch node is used.

Inputs​

  • String - The string to trim.
  • Cut Set - Characters to remove from the edges. If empty, removes whitespace (spaces, tabs, newlines).

Options​

  • Trim Type - Specifies which sides to trim from:
    • Left Trim - Remove characters from the beginning only
    • Right Trim - Remove characters from the end only
    • Left + Right Trim - Remove characters from both sides (default)

Output​

  • Result - The trimmed string.

How It Works​

The Trim node removes specified characters from string edges based on the trim type:

When Cut Set is empty:

  • Removes whitespace characters: spaces, tabs (\t), newlines (\n), carriage returns (\r)
  • Uses Left + Right Trim mode (ignores Trim Type option)

When Cut Set is specified:

  • Removes any characters that appear in the Cut Set string
  • Respects the Trim Type option (Left, Right, or Both)
  • Removes characters from edges only, not from the middle

Usage Examples​

Example 1: Trim Whitespace (Empty Cut Set)​

  • String: " Hello World "
  • Cut Set: "" (empty)
  • Result: "Hello World"

Example 2: Trim Specific Characters from Both Sides​

  • String: "###Hello###"
  • Cut Set: "#"
  • Trim Type: Left + Right Trim
  • Result: "Hello"

Example 3: Left Trim Only​

  • String: "000123"
  • Cut Set: "0"
  • Trim Type: Left Trim
  • Result: "123"

Example 4: Right Trim Only​

  • String: "Price: $99.00"
  • Cut Set: "0"
  • Trim Type: Right Trim
  • Result: "Price: $99."

Example 5: Trim Multiple Characters​

  • String: "...Hello!!!"
  • Cut Set: ".!"
  • Trim Type: Left + Right Trim
  • Result: "Hello"

Tips​

  • Leave Cut Set empty for standard whitespace trimming
  • Cut Set removes any of the specified characters, not the exact string
  • Great for cleaning user input
  • Use before parsing or validation
  • Removes from edges only - middle characters are preserved
  • Combine with Replace to remove characters from anywhere

Common Errors and Solutions​

Error: Characters not removed from middle

  • Cause: Trim only works on edges, not middle
  • Solution: Use Replace node to remove characters from anywhere

Error: Unexpected results with Cut Set

  • Cause: Cut Set removes ANY of those characters, not the exact sequence
  • Solution: Each character in Cut Set is treated individually

Practical RPA Examples​

Example: Clean User Input​

String: "  john.doe@example.com  "
Cut Set: "" (empty)
Result: "john.doe@example.com"
Use: Remove accidental spaces from form input

Example: Remove Leading Zeros​

String: "000123"
Cut Set: "0"
Trim Type: Left Trim
Result: "123"
Use: Convert string number with leading zeros

Example: Clean CSV Data​

String: " Product Name "
Cut Set: "" (empty)
Result: "Product Name"
Use: Clean whitespace from CSV fields

Example: Remove Quotes​

String: '"Hello World"'
Cut Set: '"'
Trim Type: Left + Right Trim
Result: "Hello World"
Use: Remove surrounding quotes from strings

Example: Clean File Path​

String: "///path/to/file///"
Cut Set: "/"
Trim Type: Right Trim
Result: "///path/to/file"
Use: Remove trailing slashes

Example: Remove Punctuation from Edges​

String: "...Great product!!!"
Cut Set: ".!"
Result: "Great product"
Use: Clean text for analysis

Trim Type Detailed Examples​

Left Trim​

Removes characters from the beginning only:

String: "<<<Data>>>"
Cut Set: "<>"
Trim Type: Left Trim
Result: "Data>>>"

Right Trim​

Removes characters from the end only:

String: "<<<Data>>>"
Cut Set: "<>"
Trim Type: Right Trim
Result: "<<<Data"

Left + Right Trim​

Removes characters from both ends:

String: "<<<Data>>>"
Cut Set: "<>"
Trim Type: Left + Right Trim
Result: "Data"

Whitespace Trimming (Empty Cut Set)​

When Cut Set is empty, removes all whitespace:

Removes:
- Spaces: " "
- Tabs: "\t"
- Newlines: "\n"
- Carriage returns: "\r"

Example:
String: "  \n\tHello\t\n  "
Cut Set: ""
Result: "Hello"

Pattern: Input Validation Pipeline​

Clean and validate user input:

Step 1: Trim (empty Cut Set) → Remove whitespace
Step 2: Lowercase → Normalize case
Step 3: Validate format
Step 4: Process cleaned input

Pattern: Clean Scraped Data​

Web scraped data often has extra whitespace:

Step 1: Trim whitespace
Step 2: Replace multiple spaces with single space
Step 3: Use cleaned data
  • Replace - Remove characters from anywhere
  • Lowercase - Normalize case after trimming
  • Uppercase - Normalize case after trimming
  • Split - Split after trimming