String.prototype.trimStart / String.prototype.trimEnd

ECMAScript proposal, specs, tests, and reference implementation for String.prototype.trimStart/trimEnd (plus trimLeft/trimRight).

Stage 4

This proposal is complete and already merged into ECMA262 specification. See the specification text here.

Rationale

ES5 standardized String.prototype.trim. All major engines have also implemented corresponding trimLeft and trimRight functions - without any standard specification. For consistency with padStart/padEnd we propose trimStart and trimEnd and trimLeft/trimRight as aliases required for web compatibility.

Specification

You can view the spec in ecmarkup or rendered as HTML.

Naming / Aliasing

For consistency with padStart/padEnd the standard functions will be trimStart and trimEnd, however for web compatilibity trimLeft will alias trimStart and trimRight will alias trimEnd. This means String.prototype.trimRight.name will change from "trimRight" to "trimEnd" in most engines. The spec author does not expect this to cause any breakage.

Test262 Coverage

PR open

Status of This Proposal

This initial proposal was drafted by @sebmarkbage and the updated spec was drafted by @evilpie with input from @ljharb.

This proposal is currently at stage 4 of the process.

Designated TC39 reviewers: Jordan Harband + Daniel Ehrenberg

Implementations

• V8, in Chrome 66+
• SpiderMonkey, in Firefox 61+
• JSC, in Safari 12+
• ChakraCore