replace Examples

The general syntax for this method is:

string_name.replace(a_string, replacement)

This method returns a copy of string_name with every occurrence of a_string replaced by the replacement string. If a_string is NOT found in string_name, then the original string gets returned.

Example

pets = 'Dogs and dogs and dogs!'

print('Replace the spaces'.replace(' ', '-'))
print(pets.replace('dog', 'cat'))
print(pets.replace('zebra', 'anaconda')

Console Output

Replace-the-spaces
Dogs and cats and cats!
Dogs and dogs and dogs!

Note

The replace method is case-sensitive. This is why Dog did not change to cat when line 4 printed to the console.

Replace Less Than All

By default, the method replaces ALL occurrences of a_string with the replacement string. By adding a third parameter, we can tell Python how many replacements to make. The syntax is:

string_name.replace(a_string, replacement, num_to_replace)

num_to_replace must be an integer.

Example

produce = 'Bananas and rutabagas'

print(produce.replace('a', 'u'))       # Replaces all 'a' characters with 'u'.
print(produce.replace('a', 'u', 2))    # Replaces the first 2 'a' characters with 'u'.

Console Output

Bununus und rutubugus
Bununas and rutabagas