code: def _split_path(path):
      
      path = path.strip('/')
      list_path = path.split('/')
      sentinel = list_path.pop(0)
      return sentinel, list_path, path
docs: split a path return by the api
  
      return
          - the sentinel:
          - the rest of the path as a list.
          - the original path stripped of / for normalisation.