How to remove all characters after a specific character in python?

Discover diverse approaches

Taking the slice method

Try the split() function with a limit of 1, it splits only at the first occurrence of the separator:

text = "foo#bar#pizza"  # Pizza not included :(
separator, _ = text.split('#', 1)
print(separator)  # Prints: foo


If your separator isn't in the string, split() will conveniently hand you back your original string without any extra toppings... I mean, characters.

When the separator decides to skip work

Ever wondered what happens when the separator doesn't show up? An exceptional method to handle this exception is partition(). It will always return a tuple, no matter what:

text = "foo"
head, _, _ = text.partition('#')
print(head)  # Prints: foo


Even if the separator has decided to take the day off, head will still hold the entire string.

When '...' is too much of '...'

Sometimes, even ellipsis can be overused. In this case, stick with regular expressions and use re.sub():

import re

text = "foo...bar"
result = re.sub(r'\.\.\..*', '', text)   # Bye '...bar'
print(result)  # Prints: foo


RegEx to the rescue - Everything after '...' has exited the chat!

When last also matters

Sometimes the last occurrence of a character is what marks the spot. Mix rfind() and slicing for this scenario:

text = "foo#bar#baz"
result = text[:text.rfind('#')]
print(result)  # Prints: foo#bar


Last one in, first one out!

Optimising performance and anticipations

Fast and furious

For high-speed requirements or data-heavy strings, perform a pit stop to check the efficiency of your method. A precompiled regex is your racing fuel if you reach for re.sub() often:

pattern = re.compile(re.escape('...') + '.*')
text = "foo...bar"
result = pattern.sub('', text)  # This ain't '...bar' no more


Prepare for all weathers

If you're dealing with multiple instances of a separator, always be prepared with your chosen method. Will it rain or will it pour? Will it chop after the first, last, or every separator? Each option has its own umbrella, choose wisely!