deleting the first and the last character of a string

[Manuel Hendel]

I got a file with fields seperated by a "|". The problem is that there
is also a "|" at the beginning and at the end of each line although
there no fields in front or behind these "|". Now I want to delete
these two "|". Is there anything which says delete the first or last
character of a string? I checked the string module on the web, but I
couldn't find anything.

I solved it like this, but I honestly don't like it that way.

#!/usr/bin/env python
#
import sys
import string

inputfile = open(sys.argv[-1], "r")

for line in inputfile.readlines():
        fields = string.split(line, "|")
        lineN = string.join(fields[1:-1], "|")

Isn't there any better solution? ;-)

Manuel

-- 
The real purpose of books is to trap the mind into doing its own thinking. 
-Christopher Morley