# XSTRIP > [HTML Version](xstrip_sbr.htm) **xcall XSTRIP, strarg** **xcall XSTRIP, strarg, filter, opcode** XSTRIP performs various string editing operations. Note that in the first syntax, the routine is equivalent to XCALL STRIP (removes trailing blanks). **Parameters** _strarg_ ([String](string.htm.md), 2+ bytes) \[in/out\] the string to be operated on. _filter_ ([String](string.htm.md), 1+ bytes) \[in\] contains filter info, depending on opcode. _opcode_ ([Num](num.htm.md)) \[in\] defines the operation. | **Opcode** | **Function** | |------|------| | 1 | All occurrences of any of the individual characters in the filter are removed from _strarg_. | | 2 | All occurrences of characters NOT in filter are removed from _strarg_. | | 3 | Remove Words. _filter_ contains a comma-separated list of words to be removed from _strarg_. Double spaces resulting from the removal of a word are shortened to a single space. Example:
strarg = "THIS IS A TEST OF THIS XCALL ROUTINE"
filter = "THIS,TEST,ROUTINE"
XCALL XSTRIP,strarg,filter,3
Result: strarg = " IS A OF XCALL " | | 4 | Removes matching characters from start of string. For example:
strarg = "THIS IS A TEST TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING."
filter = "SIHT "
XCALL XSTRIP,strarg,filter,4
Result: strarg = "A TEST TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING."
Note: The removal process was terminated at the first character of _strarg_ for which there was no match in filter ("A"). | | 5 | Remove matching characters from the end of the string. Same concept as opcode 4 but starts at the end of _strarg_ and works backwards. | | 6 | Pair-wise character substitution: _filter_ must contain an even number of characters, interpreted as pairs. Each occurrence in _strarg_ of the first character in each pair (of filter) is replaced with the second character of the pair. Example:
XCALL XSTRIP,strarg,"A1B2",6 \! replace all "A" with "1"; "B" with "2" | | 7 | Reduce multiple spaces to single spaces. _filter_ not used. E.g.: XCALL XSTRIP,strarg,"",7 | | 8 | (not used) | | 9 | Combines the action of opcodes 4 (strip leading characters) and 5 (strip trailing characters) to make it a simpler alternative to Xcall TRIM when you want to strip something other than spaces and TABs. | **History** 2024 August, A-Shell 7.0.1762: added opcode 9. 2011 May, A-Shell 5.1.1215: XSTRIP added to the standard release, after fixing some bugs introduced in 5.1 during translation of the original proprietary version written by John Pruitt.