Learn Slice the Phrase | String Manipulation and Operations

Let's explore another valuable Python operation that proves beneficial when handling string data type. It can be advantageous to extract symbols at specified intervals. Ensure you review the example, as verbal explanations may not be the most effective method for grasping programming concepts (as exemplified by a famous quote from Albert Einstein in the example).


              123
            
string = "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving"
sliced_string = string[1:11:4]
print(sliced_string)

I want to elucidate the syntax:

string[starting_index : ending_index : step]

In this context, the resultant string has been generated from the first to the eleventh character, with a step size of 4, signifying that every fourth symbol within this range has been included.

Open-Ended Slicing in Python

In Python, it is possible to omit any of the three components in a slicing expression — start, end, or step. This is known as open-ended slicing, and it allows for more flexible string operations.

Here are the most common patterns:

string[:end] — slices from the beginning of the string up to (but not including) the end index;
string[start:] — slices from the start index to the end of the string;
string[start:end] — slices between two indices, omitting the step;
string[-4:] — slices the last 4 characters of the string using negative indexing;
string[::2] — slices the entire string, taking every second character.

These variations are useful when working with strings of unknown or variable length, or when the slicing pattern is more important than fixed positions.

Task

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Now it's your turn! Follow these steps:

Use slicing to extract the phrase "Get a foot" from the first string and assign it to the variable phrase1.
Use slicing to extract the phrase "away" from the second string and assign it to the variable phrase2 (using negative indexing is recommended here).

Solution

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Section 3. Chapter 6

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              123
            
string = "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving"
sliced_string = string[1:11:4]
print(sliced_string)

I want to elucidate the syntax:

string[starting_index : ending_index : step]

In this context, the resultant string has been generated from the first to the eleventh character, with a step size of 4, signifying that every fourth symbol within this range has been included.

Open-Ended Slicing in Python

Here are the most common patterns:

string[:end] — slices from the beginning of the string up to (but not including) the end index;
string[start:] — slices from the start index to the end of the string;
string[start:end] — slices between two indices, omitting the step;
string[-4:] — slices the last 4 characters of the string using negative indexing;
string[::2] — slices the entire string, taking every second character.

These variations are useful when working with strings of unknown or variable length, or when the slicing pattern is more important than fixed positions.

Task

Swipe to start coding

Now it's your turn! Follow these steps:

Use slicing to extract the phrase "Get a foot" from the first string and assign it to the variable phrase1.
Use slicing to extract the phrase "away" from the second string and assign it to the variable phrase2 (using negative indexing is recommended here).

Solution

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Everything was clear?

Thanks for your feedback!

Section 3. Chapter 6

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Slice the Phrase

Open-Ended Slicing in Python

Solution

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Slice the Phrase

Open-Ended Slicing in Python

Solution

Awesome!