Python list slice syntax used for no obvious reason

newList = oldList[:]

newList = oldList

# ================================================================
# === ShallowCopy.py =============================================
# ================================================================
#
class Foo:
    def __init__(self, data):
        self._data = data

aa = Foo ('aaa')
bb = Foo ('bbb')

# The initial list has two elements containing 'aaa' and 'bbb'
OldList = [aa,bb]
print OldList[0]._data

# The shallow copy makes a new list pointing to the old elements
NewList = OldList[:]
print NewList[0]._data

# Updating one of the elements through the new list sees the
# change reflected when you access that element through the
# old list.
NewList[0]._data = 'xxx'
print OldList[0]._data

# Updating the new list to point to something new is not reflected
# in the old list.
NewList[0] = Foo ('ccc')
print NewList[0]._data
print OldList[0]._data

>>> # ================================================================
... # === ShallowCopy.py =============================================
... # ================================================================
... #
... class Foo:
...     def __init__(self, data):
...         self._data = data
...
>>> aa = Foo ('aaa')
>>> bb = Foo ('bbb')
>>>
>>> # The initial list has two elements containing 'aaa' and 'bbb'
... OldList = [aa,bb]
>>> print OldList[0]._data
aaa
>>>
>>> # The shallow copy makes a new list pointing to the old elements
... NewList = OldList[:]
>>> print NewList[0]._data
aaa
>>>
>>> # Updating one of the elements through the new list sees the
... # change reflected when you access that element through the
... # old list.
... NewList[0]._data = 'xxx'
>>> print OldList[0]._data
xxx
>>>
>>> # Updating the new list to point to something new is not reflected
... # in the old list.
... NewList[0] = Foo ('ccc')
>>> print NewList[0]._data
ccc
>>> print OldList[0]._data
xxx

>>> a = [1, 2, 3, 4]
>>> b = a
>>> c = a[:]
>>> b[2] = 10
>>> c[3] = 20
>>> a
[1, 2, 10, 4]
>>> b
[1, 2, 10, 4]
>>> c
[1, 2, 3, 20]

def myfunction(mylist=[]):
    pass

a = ['one','two','three']

b = a[:]

b[1] = 2

print id(a), a #Output: 1077248300 ['one', 'two', 'three']
print id(b), b #Output: 1077248908 ['one', 2, 'three']

a = ['one','two','three']

b = a

b[1] = 2


print id(a), a #Output: 1077248300 ['one', 2, 'three']
print id(b), b #Output: 1077248300 ['one', 2, 'three']