Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed5.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.000 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 1.00; '*S*': 0.00; 'argument': 0.04; 'table.': 0.07; '"a"': 0.09; 'arguments,': 0.09; 'from:addr:ethan': 0.09; 'from:addr:stoneleaf.us': 0.09; 'from:name:ethan furman': 0.09; 'message-id:@stoneleaf.us': 0.09; 'received:184.172': 0.09; 'received:gator410.hostgator.com': 0.09; 'subject:()': 0.09; 'tuple': 0.09; '~ethan~': 0.09; 'received:gateway01.websitewelcome.com': 0.16; 'slice.': 0.16; 'subject:array': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.17; '(or': 0.18; 'pass': 0.25; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.25; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.26; 'andrew': 0.27; 'record': 0.28; 'arguments.': 0.29; 'class': 0.29; "i'm": 0.29; 'function': 0.30; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.33; 'especially': 0.35; 'useful': 0.36; 'why': 0.37; 'subject:: ': 0.38; 'sure': 0.38; 'instead': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'list,': 0.39; 'header:Received:5': 0.40; 'range': 0.60; 'to,': 0.65; 'received:69.56': 0.65 Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:21:33 -0700 From: Ethan Furman User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.10 (Windows/20070221) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: python-list@python.org Subject: Re: Negative array indicies and slice() References: <508DEA9D.8040702@r3dsolutions.com> In-Reply-To: <508DEA9D.8040702@r3dsolutions.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - gator410.hostgator.com X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - python.org X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12] X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - stoneleaf.us X-BWhitelist: no X-Source: X-Source-Args: X-Source-Dir: X-Source-Sender: ([192.168.11.101]) [173.12.184.238]:51569 X-Source-Auth: ethan+stoneleaf.us X-Email-Count: 1 X-Source-Cap: dG9idWs7dG9idWs7Z2F0b3I0MTAuaG9zdGdhdG9yLmNvbQ== X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 11 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1351632673 news.xs4all.nl 6962 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:43426 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:32505 Andrew Robinson wrote: > I can see that the slice() function can pass in arbitrary arguments. > I'm not sure for lists, which is what the range is applied to, why an > argument like "a" would be part of a slice. Well, in my dbf.py Record class you can use the names of fields as the slice arguments, instead of having to remember the offsets. record['full_name':'zip4'] returns a tuple (or a list, I don't remember) of about 13 fields -- this is especially useful as that block of fields might not be in the same place in each table. ~Ethan~