How to Replace Multiple Spaces with One in Python

You can replace multiple spaces in a string with a single space using the join method along with the split method.

Here’s a simple example to illustrate this:

def replace_multiple_spaces(input_string):
    # Split the string by whitespace and join it back with a single space
    return ' '.join(input_string.split())

# Example usage
input_string = "This  is    an example     string."
result = replace_multiple_spaces(input_string)
print(result)  # Output: "This is an example string."

Explanation:

1. split(): This method splits the string into a list of words, using any whitespace as a delimiter. It automatically handles multiple spaces and removes any leading or trailing whitespace.
2. join(): This method takes the list of words and concatenates them into a single string with a specified separator—in this case, a single space (' ').

This method efficiently reduces all sequences of whitespace to a single space.