Mastering Python List Slicing

List slicing is a fundamental and powerful feature in Python that allows you to extract sub-sequences from lists efficiently. Understanding how to slice lists is crucial for data manipulation, processing, and creating concise, readable Python code. This challenge will test your ability to leverage slicing for various extraction tasks.

Problem Description

Your task is to implement a function that takes a list and a set of slicing parameters and returns the corresponding slice of the list. You'll need to handle different combinations of start, stop, and step values, including cases where these parameters are omitted.

Requirements:

• Create a Python function named slice_list that accepts the following arguments:
  • input_list: The list from which to extract a slice.
  • start: The starting index of the slice (inclusive). Can be None to start from the beginning.
  • stop: The stopping index of the slice (exclusive). Can be None to go to the end.
  • step: The step value for the slice. Can be None to use a default step of 1.
• The function should return the resulting slice of the input_list.
• Handle positive and negative indices for start and stop.
• Handle step values including positive, negative, and zero (though a step of zero is generally not useful and will result in an empty list unless the slice is empty).

Expected Behavior:

The function should mimic the behavior of Python's built-in list slicing mechanism input_list[start:stop:step].

Examples

Example 1:

Input:
input_list = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
start = 2
stop = 7
step = 1

Output: [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Explanation: We are taking elements from index 2 up to (but not including) index 7 with a step of 1.

Example 2:

Input:
input_list = ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f']
start = None
stop = 4
step = 2

Output: ['a', 'c']
Explanation: We start from the beginning (None) and go up to index 4, taking every 2nd element.

Example 3:

Input:
input_list = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50]
start = -1
stop = None
step = -2

Output: [50, 30, 10]
Explanation: We start from the last element (index -1) and go to the end (None) with a negative step of -2, effectively reversing and stepping.

Example 4:

Input:
input_list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
start = 0
stop = 5
step = 0

Output: []
Explanation: A step of 0 typically results in an empty list unless the slice itself is empty.

Constraints

• The input_list can contain any type of Python objects.
• The length of input_list will be between 0 and 1000.
• start, stop, and step will be integers or None.
• The function should not modify the original input_list.
• The solution should be reasonably efficient, aiming for a time complexity similar to Python's native slicing (O(k), where k is the length of the slice).

Notes

• Remember how Python handles default values for start, stop, and step when they are None.
• Pay close attention to the inclusivity/exclusivity of the stop index.
• Consider the impact of negative indices and negative step values.
• While Python's built-in slicing is highly optimized, this exercise is about understanding and replicating its logic. You can achieve this by iterating through the list and applying the slicing rules manually or by cleverly using conditional logic.