sort() returns SList (obviously), %cpaste foo assigns the pasted block to foo as string list

IPython/Magic.py

@@ -3195,7 +3195,7 b' Defaulting color scheme to \'NoColor\'"""'
             exec b in self.user_ns            
             self.user_ns['pasted_block'] = b
         else:
-            self.user_ns[par] = block
+            self.user_ns[par] = SList(block.splitlines())
             print "Block assigned to '%s'" % par
             
     def magic_quickref(self,arg):

IPython/genutils.py

@@ -1137,7 +1137,7 b' class SList(list):'
                 res.append(" ".join(lineparts))
             
         return res        
-    def sort(self,field,  nums = False):
+    def sort(self,field= None,  nums = False):
         """ sort by specified fields (see fields())
         
         Example::
@@ -1148,7 +1148,10 b' class SList(list):'
         """ 
         
         #decorate, sort, undecorate
-        dsu = [[SList([line]).fields(field),  line] for line in self]
+        if field is not None:
+            dsu = [[SList([line]).fields(field),  line] for line in self]
+        else:
+            dsu = [[line,  line] for line in self]
         if nums:
             for i in range(len(dsu)):
                 numstr = "".join([ch for ch in dsu[i][0] if ch.isdigit()])
@@ -1161,11 +1164,15 b' class SList(list):'
                 
                 
         dsu.sort()
-        return [t[1] for t in dsu]
+        return SList([t[1] for t in dsu])
 
 def print_slist(arg):
     """ Prettier (non-repr-like) and more informative printer for SList """
-    print "SList (.p, .n, .l, .s, .grep(), .fields() available). Value:"
+    print "SList (.p, .n, .l, .s, .grep(), .fields(), sort() available):"
+    if hasattr(arg,  'hideonce') and arg.hideonce:
+        arg.hideonce = False
+        return
+        
     nlprint(arg)
     
 print_slist = result_display.when_type(SList)(print_slist)

docs/source/changes.txt

@@ -32,6 +32,7 b' New features'
 	* sh profile: ./foo runs foo as system command, no need to do !./foo anymore
 	* String lists now support 'sort(field, nums = True)' method (to easily
 	  sort system command output). Try it with 'a = !ls -l ; a.sort(1, nums=1)'
+	* '%cpaste foo' now assigns the pasted block as string list, instead of string