str.split() can now take a positional argument

All the specified characters in the specified argument will be
stripped. If unspecified, the old behaviour is used.

Includes tests.

mesonbuild/interpreterbase.py

@@ -450,9 +450,25 @@ class InterpreterBase:
         else:
             raise InterpreterException('Unknown method "%s" for an integer.' % method_name)
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _get_one_string_posarg(posargs, method_name):
+        if len(posargs) > 1:
+            m = '{}() must have zero or one arguments'
+            raise InterpreterException(m.format(method_name))
+        elif len(posargs) == 1:
+            s = posargs[0]
+            if not isinstance(s, str):
+                m = '{}() argument must be a string'
+                raise InterpreterException(m.format(method_name))
+            return s
+        return None
+
     def string_method_call(self, obj, method_name, args):
         (posargs, _) = self.reduce_arguments(args)
         if method_name == 'strip':
+            s = self._get_one_string_posarg(posargs, 'strip')
+            if s is not None:
+                return obj.strip(s)
             return obj.strip()
         elif method_name == 'format':
             return self.format_string(obj, args)
@@ -463,15 +479,10 @@ class InterpreterBase:
         elif method_name == 'underscorify':
             return re.sub(r'[^a-zA-Z0-9]', '_', obj)
         elif method_name == 'split':
-            if len(posargs) > 1:
-                raise InterpreterException('Split() must have at most one argument.')
-            elif len(posargs) == 1:
-                s = posargs[0]
-                if not isinstance(s, str):
-                    raise InterpreterException('Split() argument must be a string')
+            s = self._get_one_string_posarg(posargs, 'split')
+            if s is not None:
                 return obj.split(s)
-            else:
-                return obj.split()
+            return obj.split()
         elif method_name == 'startswith' or method_name == 'contains' or method_name == 'endswith':
             s = posargs[0]
             if not isinstance(s, str):

test cases/common/42 string operations/meson.build

@@ -67,3 +67,10 @@ assert(not version_number.version_compare('!=1.2.8'), 'Version_compare neq broke
 
 assert(version_number.version_compare('<2.0'), 'Version_compare major less broken')
 assert(version_number.version_compare('>0.9'), 'Version_compare major greater broken')
+
+assert(' spaces	tabs	'.strip() == 'spaces	tabs', 'Spaces and tabs badly stripped')
+assert(''' 
+multiline string	'''.strip() == '''multiline string''', 'Newlines badly stripped')
+assert('"1.1.20"'.strip('"') == '1.1.20', '" badly stripped')
+assert('"1.1.20"'.strip('".') == '1.1.20', '". badly stripped')
+assert('"1.1.20"   '.strip('" ') == '1.1.20', '". badly stripped')