strip_comments(data b)
{
    b.size(b.look(0, ";#")).bf_drop(" \t").bb_drop(" \t");
}

main(void)
{
    for (, text n in list("apples, pears # and bananas", "apples, pears ; and bananas")) {
        o_(strip_comments(n), "\n");
    }

    0;
}