8-1

#! /usr/bin/env python3.2
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

# main.py
""" Task: Exercise 8.1
    Write a function called chop that takes a list and modifies it, removing
    the first and last elements, and returns None.
    Then write a function called middle that takes a list and returns a new
    list that contains all but the first and last elements.
"""

''' Functions '''
def chop(t):
    del t[0]    # first item; => t.pop(0)
    del t[-1]   # last item; => t.pop(-1)

def middle(t):
    return t[1:-1]

''' Test '''
test = list()
for i in range(1, 11):  # 1, 2, 3, ..., 8, 9, 10
    test += [i]

chop(test)
print(test)             # 2, 3, 4, ..., 7, 8, 9

test = middle(test)
print(test)             # 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8