Add history_tail method to ConsoleWidget for retreiving the local history.

IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py

@@ -88,9 +88,9 b' class FrontendWidget(HistoryConsoleWidget, BaseFrontendMixin):'
     custom_restart = Bool(False)
     custom_restart_kernel_died = QtCore.Signal(float)
     custom_restart_requested = QtCore.Signal()
-   
-    # Emitted when an 'execute_reply' has been received from the kernel and
-    # processed by the FrontendWidget.
+
+    # Emitted when a user-visible 'execute_reply' has been received from the
+    # kernel and processed by the FrontendWidget. Contains the response message.
     executed = QtCore.Signal(object)
 
     # Emitted when an exit request has been received from the kernel.

IPython/frontend/qt/console/history_console_widget.py

@@ -152,6 +152,16 b' class HistoryConsoleWidget(ConsoleWidget):'
             history = prefix
         self.input_buffer = history
 
+    def history_tail(self, n=10):
+        """ Get the local history list.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        n : int
+            The (maximum) number of history items to get.
+        """
+        return self._history[-n:]
+        
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # 'HistoryConsoleWidget' protected interface
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------