.htaccess - htaccess simplified and remove need for trailing a slash -

i writing first htaccess , cleaning , understanding it. first issue having mulitple parameters. current setup looks like:

options +followsymlinks  rewriteengine on rewritecond %{request_filename} !/(_modules|css|files|ico|img|js)/ rewriterule ^([^/]*)$ index.php?p1=$1 [l]  rewritecond %{request_filename} !/(_modules|css|files|ico|img|js)/ rewriterule ^([^/]*)/([^/]*)$ index.php?p1=$1&p2=$2 [l]  rewritecond %{request_filename} !/(_modules|css|files|ico|img|js)/ rewriterule ^([^/]*)/([^/]*)/([^/]*)$ index.php?p1=$1&p2=$2&p3=$3 [l]  rewritecond %{request_filename} !/(_modules|css|files|ico|img|js)/ rewriterule ^([^/]*)/([^/]*)/([^/]*)/([^/]*)$ index.php?p1=$1&p2=$2&p3=$3&p4=$4 [l] 

is there way simplify handle maximum of 4 parameters of them being optional? leads me me next problem seems if need have trailing slash after parameters unless using 4 parameters.

in short urls this...

http://www.example.com/home http://www.example.com/home/ http://www.example.com/blog/i-am-a-title http://www.example.com/blog/i-am-a-title/ http://www.example.com/varable1/varable2/varable3/varable4 http://www.example.com/varable1/varable2/varable3/varable4/ 

i'll appreciate can provide.

well sort of experiment, work have said believe there may better way this:

rewritecond %{request_filename} !/(index\.php|_modules|css|files|ico|img|js)/ rewriterule ^(([^/]*)/?)(([^/]*)/?)(([^/]*)/?)(([^/]*)/?)$ /index.php?p1=$2&p2=$4&p3=$6&p4=$8 [l] 

basically adding group per entry can safely exclude non existent group.

so first element required , $2, second element becomes $4, third element becomes $6 , last element becomes $8.

(([^/]*)/?) means not / ends or not / outer group , inner group not /.

simplified rule bit more:

rewritecond %{request_filename} !/(index\.php|_modules|css|files|ico|img|js)/ rewriterule ^([^/]*|)/?([^/]*|)/?([^/]*|)/?([^/]*|) /index.php?p1=$1&p2=$2&p3=$3&p4=$4 [l]