* Added "smart copy" support to FrontendWidget and ConsoleWidget. Tabs are expanded and prompts are stripped.

* ConsoleWidget now overrides drag events in a cleaner way.

IPython/frontend/qt/console/console_widget.py

@@ -15,27 +15,6 b' from ansi_code_processor import QtAnsiCodeProcessor'
 from completion_widget import CompletionWidget
 
 
-class ConsolePlainTextEdit(QtGui.QPlainTextEdit):
-    """ A QPlainTextEdit suitable for use with ConsoleWidget.
-    """
-    # Prevents text from being moved by drag and drop. Note that is not, for 
-    # some reason, sufficient to catch drag events in the ConsoleWidget's 
-    # event filter.
-    def dragEnterEvent(self, event): pass
-    def dragLeaveEvent(self, event): pass
-    def dragMoveEvent(self, event): pass
-    def dropEvent(self, event): pass
-
-class ConsoleTextEdit(QtGui.QTextEdit):
-    """ A QTextEdit suitable for use with ConsoleWidget.
-    """
-    # See above.
-    def dragEnterEvent(self, event): pass
-    def dragLeaveEvent(self, event): pass
-    def dragMoveEvent(self, event): pass
-    def dropEvent(self, event): pass
-
-
 class ConsoleWidget(Configurable, QtGui.QWidget):
     """ An abstract base class for console-type widgets. This class has 
         functionality for:
@@ -205,6 +184,11 b' class ConsoleWidget(Configurable, QtGui.QWidget):'
             event.accept()
             return False
 
+        # Prevent text from being moved by drag and drop.
+        elif etype in (QtCore.QEvent.DragEnter, QtCore.QEvent.DragLeave, 
+                       QtCore.QEvent.DragMove, QtCore.QEvent.Drop):
+            return True
+
         return super(ConsoleWidget, self).eventFilter(obj, event)
 
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -267,7 +251,7 b' class ConsoleWidget(Configurable, QtGui.QWidget):'
             self.input_buffer = input_buffer
 
     def copy(self):
-        """ Copy the current selected text to the clipboard.
+        """ Copy the currently selected text to the clipboard.
         """
         self._control.copy()
 
@@ -667,13 +651,13 b' class ConsoleWidget(Configurable, QtGui.QWidget):'
         """
         # Create the underlying control.
         if self.kind == 'plain':
-            control = ConsolePlainTextEdit()
+            control = QtGui.QPlainTextEdit()
         elif self.kind == 'rich':
-            control = ConsoleTextEdit()
+            control = QtGui.QTextEdit()
             control.setAcceptRichText(False)
 
         # Install event filters. The filter on the viewport is needed for
-        # mouse events.
+        # mouse events and drag events.
         control.installEventFilter(self)
         control.viewport().installEventFilter(self)
 
@@ -694,7 +678,7 b' class ConsoleWidget(Configurable, QtGui.QWidget):'
     def _create_page_control(self):
         """ Creates and connects the underlying paging widget.
         """
-        control = ConsolePlainTextEdit()
+        control = QtGui.QPlainTextEdit()
         control.installEventFilter(self)
         control.setReadOnly(True)
         control.setUndoRedoEnabled(False)
@@ -713,8 +697,11 b' class ConsoleWidget(Configurable, QtGui.QWidget):'
         alt_down = event.modifiers() & QtCore.Qt.AltModifier
         shift_down = event.modifiers() & QtCore.Qt.ShiftModifier
 
-        if event.matches(QtGui.QKeySequence.Paste):
-            # Call our paste instead of the underlying text widget's.
+        if event.matches(QtGui.QKeySequence.Copy):
+            self.copy()
+            intercepted = True
+
+        elif event.matches(QtGui.QKeySequence.Paste):
             self.paste()
             intercepted = True
 

IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py

@@ -8,7 +8,7 b' from pygments.lexers import PythonLexer'
 from PyQt4 import QtCore, QtGui
 
 # Local imports
-from IPython.core.inputsplitter import InputSplitter
+from IPython.core.inputsplitter import InputSplitter, transform_classic_prompt
 from IPython.frontend.qt.base_frontend_mixin import BaseFrontendMixin
 from IPython.utils.io import raw_print
 from IPython.utils.traitlets import Bool
@@ -127,6 +127,21 b' class FrontendWidget(HistoryConsoleWidget, BaseFrontendMixin):'
         document.contentsChange.connect(self._document_contents_change)
 
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # 'ConsoleWidget' public interface
+    #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def copy(self):
+        """ Copy the currently selected text to the clipboard, removing prompts.
+        """
+        text = str(self._control.textCursor().selection().toPlainText())
+        if text:
+            # Remove prompts.
+            lines = map(transform_classic_prompt, text.splitlines())
+            text = '\n'.join(lines)
+            # Expand tabs so that we respect PEP-8.
+            QtGui.QApplication.clipboard().setText(text.expandtabs(4))
+
+    #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # 'ConsoleWidget' abstract interface
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -306,7 +321,7 b' class FrontendWidget(HistoryConsoleWidget, BaseFrontendMixin):'
         self._highlighter.highlighting_on = False
 
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    # 'FrontendWidget' interface
+    # 'FrontendWidget' public interface
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     def execute_file(self, path, hidden=False):

IPython/frontend/qt/console/ipython_widget.py

@@ -19,7 +19,8 b' from subprocess import Popen'
 from PyQt4 import QtCore, QtGui
 
 # Local imports
-from IPython.core.inputsplitter import IPythonInputSplitter
+from IPython.core.inputsplitter import IPythonInputSplitter, \
+    transform_ipy_prompt
 from IPython.core.usage import default_banner
 from IPython.utils.traitlets import Bool, Str
 from frontend_widget import FrontendWidget
@@ -198,7 +199,23 b' class IPythonWidget(FrontendWidget):'
         #self.kernel_manager.xreq_channel.history(raw=True, output=False)
 
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-    # 'FrontendWidget' interface
+    # 'ConsoleWidget' public interface
+    #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def copy(self):
+        """ Copy the currently selected text to the clipboard, removing prompts
+            if possible.
+        """
+        text = str(self._control.textCursor().selection().toPlainText())
+        if text:
+            # Remove prompts.
+            lines = map(transform_ipy_prompt, text.splitlines())
+            text = '\n'.join(lines)
+            # Expand tabs so that we respect PEP-8.
+            QtGui.QApplication.clipboard().setText(text.expandtabs(4))
+
+    #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    # 'FrontendWidget' public interface
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     def execute_file(self, path, hidden=False):