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Python Python Collections (2016, retired 2019) Slices Slice Functions

Posted by Aryan Monga
Aryan Monga
4,061 Points

A quiz question!

Great work! OK, this second one should be pretty similar to the first. Make a new function named first_and_last_4. It'll accept a single iterable but, this time, it'll return the first four and last four items as a single value.

slices.py 
def first_4(thing):
    return thing[0:4]
def first_and_last_4(a):
    return a[0:4] 
    return a[-1:-5:-1]

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,007 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,007 Points

You can only use return one time.

When the function encounteres a return statement, it ends; so no further code will be performed in the function.

But you can combine values using concatenation ("+") in a single return statement.

Aryan Monga
Aryan Monga
4,061 Points

Didn't know that! Thanks!

Aryan Monga
Aryan Monga
4,061 Points

There is an error that says "Didn't get the right values." What should I write for the slices? Please help!

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,007 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,007 Points

You already know how to do the first 4. Just figure out how to do the last 4 and then concatenate those two.

Aryan Monga
Aryan Monga
4,061 Points

I tried but I didn't get the answer. Could you help with the code? Thnx;)

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,007 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,007 Points

For the "last n" items you can use "-n" as the slice start value, and you won't need a stop or step value. For example, the last 7 items of a list name "month": "month[-7:]".

If you still have trouble, be sure to show your new code.