Taken from http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0257/

def trim_docstring(docstring):
    """Taken from http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0257/"""
    if not docstring:
        return ''

    # Convert tabs to spaces (following the normal Python rules)
    # and split into a list of lines:
    lines = docstring.expandtabs().splitlines()

    # Determine minimum indentation (first line doesn't count):
    indent = maxsize
    for line in lines[1:]:
        stripped = line.lstrip()
        if stripped:
            indent = min(indent, len(line) - len(stripped))

    # Remove indentation (first line is special):
    lines[0] = lines[0].strip()
    if indent < maxsize:
        index = 1
        for line in lines[1:]:
            lines[index] = line[indent:].rstrip()
            index += 1

    # Strip off trailing and leading blank lines:
    while lines and not lines[-1]:
        del lines[-1]
    while lines and not lines[0]:
        del lines[0]

    # Return a single string:
    return '\n'.join(lines)