import re
# Python example of a trim function which removes white
# space from start and end of a string

def trim(theString):

  sliceStart = 0;
  sliceEnd = len(theString);

  # Iterate over the list starting at the front
  cntIndex = 0
  while cntIndex < len(theString):
    if theString[cntIndex] != ' ':
      sliceStart = cntIndex
      break
    else:
      cntIndex += 1

  # Iterate over the list starting at the end
  cntIndex = len(theString) - 1
  while cntIndex >= 0:
    if theString[cntIndex] != ' ':
      sliceEnd = cntIndex + 1
      break
    else:
      cntIndex -= 1

  return theString[sliceStart: sliceEnd]


def regexTrim(theString):
  # Note, performance can be improved by first compiling the regex
  resultString = re.sub("^\s+", "", theString) # Trim Start
  resultString = re.sub("\s+$", "", resultString) # Trim End
  return resultString


test_1 = "  foo";
test_2 = "  bar  ";
test_3 = "baz  "
test_4 = "  ba zza  "
test_5 = "blah"

print("-----Array Operations Tests ------")
print()
print("TEST1: '{}': '{}'".format(test_1, trim(test_1)))
print("TEST2: '{}': '{}'".format(test_2, trim(test_2)))
print("TEST3: '{}': '{}'".format(test_3, trim(test_3)))
print("TEST4: '{}': '{}'".format(test_4, trim(test_4)))
print("TEST5: '{}': '{}'".format(test_5, trim(test_5)))

print("-----Regex Tests------")
print()
print("TEST1: '{}': '{}'".format(test_1, regexTrim(test_1)))
print("TEST2: '{}': '{}'".format(test_2, regexTrim(test_2)))
print("TEST3: '{}': '{}'".format(test_3, regexTrim(test_3)))
print("TEST4: '{}': '{}'".format(test_4, regexTrim(test_4)))
print("TEST5: '{}': '{}'".format(test_5, regexTrim(test_5)))


# Notes:
# ^(\s*)[^\s-]*(\s*)$ This doesn't work, it doesn't match the space in the middle of the word.