Slicing in python

s = "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."

#First Character
print "{}:  [{}]\n".format("First Character",s[:1])
# First Character:  [B]

#Last character
print "{}: [{}]\n".format("Last character",s[-1:])
# Last character: [.]


#All but first
print "{}: [{}]\n".format("All but first",s[1:])
# All but first: [e yourself; everyone else is already taken.]

#All but last
print "{}: [{}]\n".format("All but last",s[:-1])
# All but last: [Be yourself; everyone else is already taken]

#Practical use removing file extension
f = "Oscar.the writer Wilde.txt"

#Cut filextension with slice
print "{}: [{}]\n".format("Cut file extension with string slice",f[:-4])
# Cut file extension with string slice: [Oscar.the writer Wilde]

#cut file extension with split.
splitlist = f.split(".")
print "{}: [{}]\n".format("Cut file extension with split",".".join(splitlist[:-1]))
# Cut file extension with split: [Oscar.the writer Wilde]

#Cut file extension with regex repl
import re
print "{}: [{}]\n".format("Cut file extension with regex",re.sub("\.\w+$","",f))
# Cut file extension with regex: [Oscar.the writer Wilde]
 
# Std lib way. RTFM :)
import os
print "{}: [{}]\n".format("Cut file extension std lib way",os.path.splitext(f)[0])
# Cut file extension std lib way: [Oscar.the writer Wilde]