How can I trim beginning and ending double quotes from a string?

More efficient use-case scenarios

There are times when a regex can be a bit overkill. Knowing if your string is enclosed in quotes always can save computation cycles by ditching regex. In such cases, you can simply use good old substring():

if (originalString.startsWith("\"") && originalString.endsWith("\"")) {
    // Making sure we're not working with a quote-less wonder
    String result = originalString.substring(1, originalString.length() - 1);
}
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Yes, it's good old sanity checking with startsWith() and endsWith().

The power of libraries

Dealing with features like quotes is just the tip of the CSV parsing iceberg. Experienced sailors of such seas swear by OpenCSV to navigate the potentially choppy waters safely, removing quotes and parsing CSVs without losing their sanity.

For less tumultuous scenarios, Apache Commons Lang boasts StringUtils.strip(), a tool that's the swiss army knife of quote removal:

String result = StringUtils.strip(originalString, "\"");
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It's uncomplicated, doesn't require a PhD in regex, and smartly trims quotes at both ends (and nowhere if they're not there).

Efficiency never goes out of style

Need to work with large strings, or in a performance-critical application where every millisecond counts? Consider replace() that’s more efficient than its tessellated sibling, replaceAll(), as it skips the regex dance:

String result = originalString.replace("\"", "");
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Caution: It's a no-questions-asked replacer, removing all quotes. Use it if and only if your string's structure allows it.

Different strokes for different folks

Out with the old(substring()) and in with the new(known structure)

If you know your strings consistently sport quotes only at the start and end, substring() comes into play:

String result = originalString.substring(1, originalString.length() - 1);
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But mind the length: you don't want to summon a StringIndexOutOfBoundsException. They are not a "fun" exception, trust me.

From Russia with love: Kotlin’s removeSurrounding()

If you're a bilingual developer, Kotlin’s removeSurrounding() stylishly trims specific delimiters:

val result = originalString.removeSurrounding("\"")
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Knowledge is power: Source code review

Ever wondered how the built-in functions like removeSurrounding() work? Peeking at the source code is like seeing the matrix. It's a repository of insights and potential optimizations.

Checklist: Choose your weapon

• replaceAll() with regex? Check. ✔️
• substring() for non-regex trimming? Check. ✔️
• StringUtils.strip() from Apache Commons Lang? Check. ✔️
• replace() for comprehensive non-regex replacement? Check. ✔️
• startsWith() and endsWith() for quote validation? Check. ✔️
• OpenCSV library for CSV-fest? Check. ✔️
• Performance and efficiency assessment? Always. Check. ✔️

Keeping the feed clean

Every string, like a good tweet, has its own value and integrity. Choose methods that ensure the trimming operation doesn't go awry and start scrubbing the quotes that matter.