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Reverse Without Built-Ins

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Your question is Reverse Without Built-Ins. Start with the requirements on the right.

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Problem

SentinelOne telemetry processing may require reversing a sequence before further analysis. Write a function that reverses either a string or a list without using built-in reverse functions, slicing-based reversal, or library helpers that directly reverse the input.

Return a new sequence in reverse order. The original list must remain unchanged. For a string, return a string. For a list, return a list containing the same elements in reverse order.

Formal Specification

Implement reverse_sequence(sequence), where sequence is either a string or a list of values. The function returns the same sequence type with its elements ordered from last to first. An empty input is valid.

Use a two-pointer approach that swaps elements from the outside toward the center. Do not call reverse(), reversed(), or use reverse slicing such as [::-1].

Constraints

  • 0 <= len(sequence) <= 10^5
  • sequence is either a string or a list
  • List elements may be integers, strings, or other values
  • Do not use reverse(), reversed(), or reverse slicing
  • The original list must remain unchanged

Function Signature

def reverse_sequence(sequence):
Your solutionPython 3
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