diff --git a/IPython/core/history.py b/IPython/core/history.py
index 08db18f..ff931d2 100644
--- a/IPython/core/history.py
+++ b/IPython/core/history.py
@@ -445,8 +445,11 @@ class HistoryAccessor(HistoryAccessorBase):
         Parameters
         ----------
         rangestr : str
-          A string specifying ranges, e.g. "5 ~2/1-4". See
-          :func:`magic_history` for full details.
+          A string specifying ranges, e.g. "5 ~2/1-4". If empty string is used,
+          this will return everything from current session's history.
+
+          See the documentation of :func:`%history` for the full details.
+
         raw, output : bool
           As :meth:`get_range`
 
@@ -851,11 +854,18 @@ $""", re.VERBOSE)
 def extract_hist_ranges(ranges_str):
     """Turn a string of history ranges into 3-tuples of (session, start, stop).
 
+    Empty string results in a `[(0, 1, None)]`, i.e. "everything from current
+    session".
+
     Examples
     --------
     >>> list(extract_hist_ranges("~8/5-~7/4 2"))
     [(-8, 5, None), (-7, 1, 5), (0, 2, 3)]
     """
+    if ranges_str == "":
+        yield (0, 1, None)  # Everything from current session
+        return
+
     for range_str in ranges_str.split():
         rmatch = range_re.match(range_str)
         if not rmatch:
diff --git a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
index f6145d5..499d6b7 100644
--- a/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
+++ b/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py
@@ -3696,12 +3696,15 @@ class InteractiveShell(SingletonConfigurable):
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        range_str : string
+        range_str : str
             The set of slices is given as a string, like "~5/6-~4/2 4:8 9",
             since this function is for use by magic functions which get their
             arguments as strings. The number before the / is the session
             number: ~n goes n back from the current session.
 
+            If empty string is given, returns history of current session
+            without the last input.
+
         raw : bool, optional
             By default, the processed input is used.  If this is true, the raw
             input history is used instead.
@@ -3715,7 +3718,16 @@ class InteractiveShell(SingletonConfigurable):
         * ``N-M`` -> include items N..M (closed endpoint).
         """
         lines = self.history_manager.get_range_by_str(range_str, raw=raw)
-        return "\n".join(x for _, _, x in lines)
+        text = "\n".join(x for _, _, x in lines)
+
+        # Skip the last line, as it's probably the magic that called this
+        if not range_str:
+            if "\n" not in text:
+                text = ""
+            else:
+                text = text[: text.rfind("\n")]
+
+        return text
 
     def find_user_code(self, target, raw=True, py_only=False, skip_encoding_cookie=True, search_ns=False):
         """Get a code string from history, file, url, or a string or macro.
@@ -3724,14 +3736,15 @@ class InteractiveShell(SingletonConfigurable):
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-
         target : str
-
           A string specifying code to retrieve. This will be tried respectively
           as: ranges of input history (see %history for syntax), url,
           corresponding .py file, filename, or an expression evaluating to a
           string or Macro in the user namespace.
 
+          If empty string is given, returns complete history of current
+          session, without the last line.
+
         raw : bool
           If true (default), retrieve raw history. Has no effect on the other
           retrieval mechanisms.
diff --git a/IPython/core/magics/code.py b/IPython/core/magics/code.py
index 82ce71b..e4b85e3 100644
--- a/IPython/core/magics/code.py
+++ b/IPython/core/magics/code.py
@@ -202,6 +202,9 @@ class CodeMagics(Magics):
         This function uses the same syntax as %history for input ranges,
         then saves the lines to the filename you specify.
 
+        If no ranges are specified, saves history of the current session up to
+        this point.
+
         It adds a '.py' extension to the file if you don't do so yourself, and
         it asks for confirmation before overwriting existing files.
 
@@ -254,6 +257,9 @@ class CodeMagics(Magics):
         The argument can be an input history range, a filename, or the name of a
         string or macro.
 
+        If no arguments are given, uploads the history of this session up to
+        this point.
+
         Options:
 
           -d: Pass a custom description. The default will say
@@ -315,6 +321,9 @@ class CodeMagics(Magics):
           where source can be a filename, URL, input history range, macro, or
           element in the user namespace
 
+        If no arguments are given, loads the history of this session up to this
+        point.
+
         Options:
 
           -r <lines>: Specify lines or ranges of lines to load from the source.
@@ -333,6 +342,7 @@ class CodeMagics(Magics):
         confirmation before loading source with more than 200 000 characters, unless
         -y flag is passed or if the frontend does not support raw_input::
 
+        %load
         %load myscript.py
         %load 7-27
         %load myMacro
@@ -344,13 +354,7 @@ class CodeMagics(Magics):
         %load -n my_module.wonder_function
         """
         opts,args = self.parse_options(arg_s,'yns:r:')
-
-        if not args:
-            raise UsageError('Missing filename, URL, input history range, '
-                             'macro, or element in the user namespace.')
-
         search_ns = 'n' in opts
-
         contents = self.shell.find_user_code(args, search_ns=search_ns)
 
         if 's' in opts:
diff --git a/IPython/core/magics/history.py b/IPython/core/magics/history.py
index 6703f26..28f91fa 100644
--- a/IPython/core/magics/history.py
+++ b/IPython/core/magics/history.py
@@ -184,14 +184,12 @@ class HistoryMagics(Magics):
             n = 10 if limit is None else limit
             hist = history_manager.get_tail(n, raw=raw, output=get_output)
         else:
-            if args.range:      # Get history by ranges
-                if args.pattern:
-                    range_pattern = "*" + " ".join(args.pattern) + "*"
-                    print_nums = True
-                hist = history_manager.get_range_by_str(" ".join(args.range),
-                                                        raw, get_output)
-            else:               # Just get history for the current session
-                hist = history_manager.get_range(raw=raw, output=get_output)
+            if args.pattern:
+                range_pattern = "*" + " ".join(args.pattern) + "*"
+                print_nums = True
+            hist = history_manager.get_range_by_str(
+                " ".join(args.range), raw, get_output
+            )
 
         # We could be displaying the entire history, so let's not try to pull
         # it into a list in memory. Anything that needs more space will just
diff --git a/IPython/core/magics/osm.py b/IPython/core/magics/osm.py
index c2d3963..c0cb209 100644
--- a/IPython/core/magics/osm.py
+++ b/IPython/core/magics/osm.py
@@ -806,18 +806,17 @@ class OSMagics(Magics):
         to be Python source and will show it with syntax highlighting.
 
         This magic command can either take a local filename, an url,
-        an history range (see %history) or a macro as argument ::
+        an history range (see %history) or a macro as argument.
+
+        If no parameter is given, prints out history of current session up to
+        this point. ::
 
         %pycat myscript.py
         %pycat 7-27
         %pycat myMacro
         %pycat http://www.example.com/myscript.py
         """
-        if not parameter_s:
-            raise UsageError('Missing filename, URL, input history range, '
-                             'or macro.')
-
-        try :
+        try:
             cont = self.shell.find_user_code(parameter_s, skip_encoding_cookie=False)
         except (ValueError, IOError):
             print("Error: no such file, variable, URL, history range or macro")
diff --git a/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py b/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py
index 57266e5..824ba1e 100644
--- a/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py
+++ b/IPython/core/tests/test_history.py
@@ -160,6 +160,14 @@ def test_extract_hist_ranges():
     actual = list(extract_hist_ranges(instr))
     nt.assert_equal(actual, expected)
 
+
+def test_extract_hist_ranges_empty_str():
+    instr = ""
+    expected = [(0, 1, None)]  # 0 == current session, None == to end
+    actual = list(extract_hist_ranges(instr))
+    nt.assert_equal(actual, expected)
+
+
 def test_magic_rerun():
     """Simple test for %rerun (no args -> rerun last line)"""
     ip = get_ipython()
diff --git a/IPython/core/tests/test_magic.py b/IPython/core/tests/test_magic.py
index 226c460..fd5696d 100644
--- a/IPython/core/tests/test_magic.py
+++ b/IPython/core/tests/test_magic.py
@@ -1089,6 +1089,29 @@ def test_save():
         nt.assert_in("coding: utf-8", content)
 
 
+def test_save_with_no_args():
+    ip = get_ipython()
+    ip.history_manager.reset()  # Clear any existing history.
+    cmds = [u"a=1", u"def b():\n    return a**2", u"print(a, b())", "%save"]
+    for i, cmd in enumerate(cmds, start=1):
+        ip.history_manager.store_inputs(i, cmd)
+
+    with TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+        path = os.path.join(tmpdir, "testsave.py")
+        ip.run_line_magic("save", path)
+        content = Path(path).read_text()
+        expected_content = dedent(
+            """\
+            # coding: utf-8
+            a=1
+            def b():
+                return a**2
+            print(a, b())
+            """
+        )
+        nt.assert_equal(content, expected_content)
+
+
 def test_store():
     """Test %store."""
     ip = get_ipython()
diff --git a/docs/source/whatsnew/pr/empty-hist-range.rst b/docs/source/whatsnew/pr/empty-hist-range.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a36789f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/source/whatsnew/pr/empty-hist-range.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+Empty History Ranges
+====================
+
+A number of magics that take history ranges can now be used with an empty
+range. These magics are:
+
+ * ``%save``
+ * ``%load``
+ * ``%pastebin``
+ * ``%pycat``
+
+Using them this way will make them take the history of the current session up
+to the point of the magic call (such that the magic itself will not be
+included).
+
+Therefore it is now possible to save the whole history to a file using simple
+``%save <filename>``, load and edit it using ``%load`` (makes for a nice usage
+when followed with :kbd:`F2`), send it to dpaste.org using ``%pastebin``, or
+view the whole thing syntax-highlighted with a single ``%pycat``.