code: def lstrip(a, chars=None):
      """
      For each element in `a`, return a copy with the leading characters
      removed.
  
      Parameters
      ----------
      a : array_like, with ``bytes_`` or ``unicode_`` dtype
      chars : scalar with the same dtype as ``a``, optional
         The ``chars`` argument is a string specifying the set of
         characters to be removed. If ``None``, the ``chars``
         argument defaults to removing whitespace. The ``chars`` argument
         is not a prefix or suffix; rather, all combinations of its
         values are stripped.
  
      Returns
      -------
      out : ndarray
          Output array of ``bytes_`` or ``unicode_`` dtype
  
      See Also
      --------
      str.lstrip
  
      Examples
      --------
      >>> c = np.array(['aAaAaA', '  aA  ', 'abBABba'])
      >>> c
      array(['aAaAaA', '  aA  ', 'abBABba'], dtype='<U7')
      # The 'a' variable is unstripped from c[1] because of leading whitespace.
      >>> np.strings.lstrip(c, 'a')
      array(['AaAaA', '  aA  ', 'bBABba'], dtype='<U7')
      >>> np.strings.lstrip(c, 'A') # leaves c unchanged
      array(['aAaAaA', '  aA  ', 'abBABba'], dtype='<U7')
      >>> (np.strings.lstrip(c, ' ') == np.strings.lstrip(c, '')).all()
      np.False_
      >>> (np.strings.lstrip(c, ' ') == np.strings.lstrip(c)).all()
      np.True_
  
      """
      if chars is None:
          return _lstrip_whitespace(a)
      return _lstrip_chars(a, chars)
  
imports: import numpy
  from numpy import equal, not_equal, less, less_equal, greater, greater_equal, add
  from numpy._core.umath import isalpha, isdigit, isspace, isdecimal, isnumeric, str_len, find, rfind, count, startswith, endswith, _lstrip_whitespace, _lstrip_chars, _rstrip_whitespace, _rstrip_chars, _strip_whitespace, _strip_chars, _replace
label_desc: Use image node_id 1 for calling a global function with example usage: lstrip(a, chars) and returns: _lstrip_chars, _lstrip_whitespace