In Python 2.7
Slicing in Python
[a:b:c]
len = length of string, tuple or list
c -- default is +1. The sign of c indicates forward or backward, absolute value of c indicates steps. Default is forward with step size 1. Positive means forward, negative means backward.
a -- When c is positive or blank, default is 0. When c is negative, default is -1.
b -- When c is positive or blank, default is len. When c is negative, default is -(len+1).
Understanding index assignment is very important.
In forward direction, starts at 0 and ends at len-1
In backward direction, starts at -1 and ends at -len
When you say [a:b:c], you are saying depending on the sign of c (forward or backward), start at a and end at b (excluding element at bth index). Use the indexing rule above and remember you will only find elements in this range:
-len, -len+1, -len+2, ..., 0, 1, 2,3,4 , len -1
But this range continues in both directions infinitely:
...,-len -2 ,-len-1,-len, -len+1, -len+2, ..., 0, 1, 2,3,4 , len -1, len, len +1, len+2 , ....
For example:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
a s t r i n g
-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1
If your choice of a, b, and c allows overlap with the range above as you traverse using rules for a,b,c above you will either get a list with elements (touched during traversal) or you will get an empty list.
One last thing: if a and b are equal, then also you get an empty list:
>>> l1
[2, 3, 4]
>>> l1[:]
[2, 3, 4]
>>> l1[::-1] # a default is -1 , b default is -(len+1)
[4, 3, 2]
>>> l1[:-4:-1] # a default is -1
[4, 3, 2]
>>> l1[:-3:-1] # a default is -1
[4, 3]
>>> l1[::] # c default is +1, so a default is 0, b default is len
[2, 3, 4]
>>> l1[::-1] # c is -1 , so a default is -1 and b default is -(len+1)
[4, 3, 2]
>>> l1[-100:-200:-1] # Interesting
[]
>>> l1[-1:-200:-1] # Interesting
[4, 3, 2]
>>> l1[-1:-1:1]
[]
>>> l1[-1:5:1] # Interesting
[4]
>>> l1[1:-7:1]
[]
>>> l1[1:-7:-1] # Interesting
[3, 2]
>>> l1[:-2:-2] # a default is -1, stop(b) at -2 , step(c) by 2 in reverse direction
[4]