Python String translate() Method

The translate() method is used to replace characters in a string based on a translation table created using str.maketrans() method.

Syntax

str.translate(table)

Parameters

table: This is a translation table created using the str.maketrans() method that defines how to perform the character replacements.

Return Value

Returns a new string with characters replaced according to the translation table.

How It Works

1. First, you create a translation table using the str.maketrans() method.

2. Then you apply this table to your string using the translate() method.

Examples

Replacing Characters in a String

text = "abcde"

# Create a translation table
trans_table = str.maketrans("abc", "123")

# Translate the string
trans_text = text.translate(trans_table)
print(trans_text) # Output: 123de

Removing Characters from a String

You can remove specific characters from a string by providing them in the third parameter of the str.maketrans() method.

text = "abcde"
trans_table = str.maketrans("", "", "aeiou")
trans_text = text.translate(trans_table)
print(trans_text) # Output: bcd

Using a Dictionary for Custom Mappings

You can pass a dictionary to str.maketrans() to define custom character replacements. The keys should be the characters (or their Unicode ordinals) to be replaced, and the values should be the replacement characters (or None for deletion).

text = "abcde"
trans_table = str.maketrans({"a": "x", "b": "y", "c": "z", "d": None})
trans_text = text.translate(trans_table)
print(trans_text) # Output: xyze