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1 | 1 | ================= |
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2 | 2 | IPython reference |
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3 | 3 | ================= |
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4 | 4 | |
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5 | 5 | .. _command_line_options: |
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6 | 6 | |
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7 | 7 | Command-line usage |
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8 | 8 | ================== |
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9 | 9 | |
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10 | 10 | You start IPython with the command:: |
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11 | 11 | |
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12 | 12 | $ ipython [options] files |
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13 | 13 | |
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14 | 14 | If invoked with no options, it executes all the files listed in sequence |
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15 | 15 | and drops you into the interpreter while still acknowledging any options |
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16 | 16 | you may have set in your ipython_config.py. This behavior is different from |
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17 | 17 | standard Python, which when called as python -i will only execute one |
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18 | 18 | file and ignore your configuration setup. |
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19 | 19 | |
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20 | 20 | Please note that some of the configuration options are not available at |
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21 | 21 | the command line, simply because they are not practical here. Look into |
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22 | 22 | your configuration files for details on those. There are separate configuration |
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23 | 23 | files for each profile, and the files look like :file:`ipython_config.py` or |
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24 | 24 | :file:`ipython_config_{frontendname}.py`. Profile directories look like |
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25 | 25 | :file:`profile_{profilename}` and are typically installed in the :envvar:`IPYTHONDIR` directory, |
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26 | 26 | which defaults to :file:`$HOME/.ipython`. For Windows users, :envvar:`HOME` |
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27 | 27 | resolves to :file:`C:\\Users\\{YourUserName}` in most instances. |
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28 | 28 | |
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29 | 29 | Command-line Options |
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30 | 30 | -------------------- |
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31 | 31 | |
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32 | 32 | To see the options IPython accepts, use ``ipython --help`` (and you probably |
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33 | 33 | should run the output through a pager such as ``ipython --help | less`` for |
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34 | 34 | more convenient reading). This shows all the options that have a single-word |
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35 | 35 | alias to control them, but IPython lets you configure all of its objects from |
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36 | 36 | the command-line by passing the full class name and a corresponding value; type |
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37 | 37 | ``ipython --help-all`` to see this full list. For example:: |
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38 | 38 | |
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39 | 39 | ipython --matplotlib qt |
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40 | 40 | |
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41 | 41 | is equivalent to:: |
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42 | 42 | |
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43 | 43 | ipython --TerminalIPythonApp.matplotlib='qt' |
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44 | 44 | |
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45 | 45 | Note that in the second form, you *must* use the equal sign, as the expression |
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46 | 46 | is evaluated as an actual Python assignment. While in the above example the |
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47 | 47 | short form is more convenient, only the most common options have a short form, |
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48 | 48 | while any configurable variable in IPython can be set at the command-line by |
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49 | 49 | using the long form. This long form is the same syntax used in the |
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50 | 50 | configuration files, if you want to set these options permanently. |
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51 | 51 | |
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52 | 52 | |
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53 | 53 | Interactive use |
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54 | 54 | =============== |
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55 | 55 | |
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56 | 56 | IPython is meant to work as a drop-in replacement for the standard interactive |
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57 | 57 | interpreter. As such, any code which is valid python should execute normally |
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58 | 58 | under IPython (cases where this is not true should be reported as bugs). It |
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59 | 59 | does, however, offer many features which are not available at a standard python |
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60 | 60 | prompt. What follows is a list of these. |
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61 | 61 | |
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62 | 62 | |
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63 | 63 | Caution for Windows users |
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64 | 64 | ------------------------- |
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65 | 65 | |
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66 | 66 | Windows, unfortunately, uses the '\\' character as a path separator. This is a |
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67 | 67 | terrible choice, because '\\' also represents the escape character in most |
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68 | 68 | modern programming languages, including Python. For this reason, using '/' |
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69 | 69 | character is recommended if you have problems with ``\``. However, in Windows |
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70 | 70 | commands '/' flags options, so you can not use it for the root directory. This |
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71 | 71 | means that paths beginning at the root must be typed in a contrived manner |
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72 | 72 | like: ``%copy \opt/foo/bar.txt \tmp`` |
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73 | 73 | |
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74 | 74 | .. _magic: |
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75 | 75 | |
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76 | 76 | Magic command system |
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77 | 77 | -------------------- |
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78 | 78 | |
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79 | 79 | IPython will treat any line whose first character is a % as a special |
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80 | 80 | call to a 'magic' function. These allow you to control the behavior of |
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81 | 81 | IPython itself, plus a lot of system-type features. They are all |
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82 | 82 | prefixed with a % character, but parameters are given without |
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83 | 83 | parentheses or quotes. |
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84 | 84 | |
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85 | 85 | Lines that begin with ``%%`` signal a *cell magic*: they take as arguments not |
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86 | 86 | only the rest of the current line, but all lines below them as well, in the |
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87 | 87 | current execution block. Cell magics can in fact make arbitrary modifications |
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88 | 88 | to the input they receive, which need not even be valid Python code at all. |
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89 | 89 | They receive the whole block as a single string. |
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90 | 90 | |
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91 | 91 | As a line magic example, the :magic:`cd` magic works just like the OS command of |
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92 | 92 | the same name:: |
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93 | 93 | |
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94 | 94 | In [8]: %cd |
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95 | 95 | /home/fperez |
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96 | 96 | |
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97 | 97 | The following uses the builtin :magic:`timeit` in cell mode:: |
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98 | 98 | |
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99 | 99 | In [10]: %%timeit x = range(10000) |
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100 | 100 | ...: min(x) |
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101 | 101 | ...: max(x) |
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102 | 102 | ...: |
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103 | 103 | 1000 loops, best of 3: 438 us per loop |
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104 | 104 | |
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105 | 105 | In this case, ``x = range(10000)`` is called as the line argument, and the |
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106 | 106 | block with ``min(x)`` and ``max(x)`` is called as the cell body. The |
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107 | 107 | :magic:`timeit` magic receives both. |
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108 | 108 | |
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109 | If you have 'automagic' enabled (as it by default), you don't need to type in | |
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109 | If you have 'automagic' enabled (as it is by default), you don't need to type in | |
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110 | 110 | the single ``%`` explicitly for line magics; IPython will scan its internal |
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111 | 111 | list of magic functions and call one if it exists. With automagic on you can |
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112 | 112 | then just type ``cd mydir`` to go to directory 'mydir':: |
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113 | 113 | |
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114 | 114 | In [9]: cd mydir |
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115 | 115 | /home/fperez/mydir |
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116 | 116 | |
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117 | 117 | Cell magics *always* require an explicit ``%%`` prefix, automagic |
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118 | 118 | calling only works for line magics. |
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119 | 119 | |
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120 | 120 | The automagic system has the lowest possible precedence in name searches, so |
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121 | 121 | you can freely use variables with the same names as magic commands. If a magic |
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122 | 122 | command is 'shadowed' by a variable, you will need the explicit ``%`` prefix to |
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123 | 123 | use it: |
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124 | 124 | |
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125 | 125 | .. sourcecode:: ipython |
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126 | 126 | |
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127 | 127 | In [1]: cd ipython # %cd is called by automagic |
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128 | 128 | /home/fperez/ipython |
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129 | 129 | |
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130 | 130 | In [2]: cd=1 # now cd is just a variable |
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131 | 131 | |
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132 | 132 | In [3]: cd .. # and doesn't work as a function anymore |
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133 | 133 | File "<ipython-input-3-9fedb3aff56c>", line 1 |
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134 | 134 | cd .. |
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135 | 135 | ^ |
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136 | 136 | SyntaxError: invalid syntax |
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137 | 137 | |
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138 | 138 | |
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139 | 139 | In [4]: %cd .. # but %cd always works |
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140 | 140 | /home/fperez |
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141 | 141 | |
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142 | 142 | In [5]: del cd # if you remove the cd variable, automagic works again |
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143 | 143 | |
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144 | 144 | In [6]: cd ipython |
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145 | 145 | |
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146 | 146 | /home/fperez/ipython |
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147 | 147 | |
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148 | 148 | Line magics, if they return a value, can be assigned to a variable using the syntax |
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149 | 149 | ``l = %sx ls`` (which in this particular case returns the result of `ls` as a python list). |
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150 | 150 | See :ref:`below <manual_capture>` for more information. |
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151 | 151 | |
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152 | 152 | Type ``%magic`` for more information, including a list of all available magic |
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153 | 153 | functions at any time and their docstrings. You can also type |
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154 | 154 | ``%magic_function_name?`` (see :ref:`below <dynamic_object_info>` for |
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155 | 155 | information on the '?' system) to get information about any particular magic |
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156 | 156 | function you are interested in. |
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157 | 157 | |
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158 | 158 | The API documentation for the :mod:`IPython.core.magic` module contains the full |
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159 | 159 | docstrings of all currently available magic commands. |
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160 | 160 | |
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161 | 161 | .. seealso:: |
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162 | 162 | |
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163 | 163 | :doc:`magics` |
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164 | 164 | A list of the line and cell magics available in IPython by default |
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165 | 165 | |
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166 | 166 | :ref:`defining_magics` |
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167 | 167 | How to define and register additional magic functions |
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168 | 168 | |
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169 | 169 | |
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170 | 170 | Access to the standard Python help |
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171 | 171 | ---------------------------------- |
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172 | 172 | |
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173 | 173 | Simply type ``help()`` to access Python's standard help system. You can |
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174 | 174 | also type ``help(object)`` for information about a given object, or |
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175 | 175 | ``help('keyword')`` for information on a keyword. You may need to configure your |
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176 | 176 | PYTHONDOCS environment variable for this feature to work correctly. |
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177 | 177 | |
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178 | 178 | .. _dynamic_object_info: |
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179 | 179 | |
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180 | 180 | Dynamic object information |
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181 | 181 | -------------------------- |
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182 | 182 | |
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183 | 183 | Typing ``?word`` or ``word?`` prints detailed information about an object. If |
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184 | 184 | certain strings in the object are too long (e.g. function signatures) they get |
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185 | 185 | snipped in the center for brevity. This system gives access variable types and |
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186 | 186 | values, docstrings, function prototypes and other useful information. |
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187 | 187 | |
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188 | 188 | If the information will not fit in the terminal, it is displayed in a pager |
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189 | 189 | (``less`` if available, otherwise a basic internal pager). |
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190 | 190 | |
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191 | 191 | Typing ``??word`` or ``word??`` gives access to the full information, including |
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192 | 192 | the source code where possible. Long strings are not snipped. |
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193 | 193 | |
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194 | 194 | The following magic functions are particularly useful for gathering |
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195 | 195 | information about your working environment: |
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196 | 196 | |
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197 | 197 | * :magic:`pdoc` **<object>**: Print (or run through a pager if too long) the |
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198 | 198 | docstring for an object. If the given object is a class, it will |
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199 | 199 | print both the class and the constructor docstrings. |
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200 | 200 | * :magic:`pdef` **<object>**: Print the call signature for any callable |
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201 | 201 | object. If the object is a class, print the constructor information. |
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202 | 202 | * :magic:`psource` **<object>**: Print (or run through a pager if too long) |
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203 | 203 | the source code for an object. |
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204 | 204 | * :magic:`pfile` **<object>**: Show the entire source file where an object was |
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205 | 205 | defined via a pager, opening it at the line where the object |
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206 | 206 | definition begins. |
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207 | 207 | * :magic:`who`/:magic:`whos`: These functions give information about identifiers |
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208 | 208 | you have defined interactively (not things you loaded or defined |
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209 | 209 | in your configuration files). %who just prints a list of |
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210 | 210 | identifiers and %whos prints a table with some basic details about |
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211 | 211 | each identifier. |
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212 | 212 | |
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213 | 213 | The dynamic object information functions (?/??, ``%pdoc``, |
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214 | 214 | ``%pfile``, ``%pdef``, ``%psource``) work on object attributes, as well as |
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215 | 215 | directly on variables. For example, after doing ``import os``, you can use |
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216 | 216 | ``os.path.abspath??``. |
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217 | 217 | |
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218 | 218 | .. _readline: |
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219 | 219 | |
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220 | 220 | Readline-based features |
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221 | 221 | ----------------------- |
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222 | 222 | |
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223 | 223 | These features require the GNU readline library, so they won't work if your |
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224 | 224 | Python installation lacks readline support. We will first describe the default |
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225 | 225 | behavior IPython uses, and then how to change it to suit your preferences. |
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226 | 226 | |
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227 | 227 | |
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228 | 228 | Command line completion |
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229 | 229 | +++++++++++++++++++++++ |
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230 | 230 | |
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231 | 231 | At any time, hitting TAB will complete any available python commands or |
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232 | 232 | variable names, and show you a list of the possible completions if |
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233 | 233 | there's no unambiguous one. It will also complete filenames in the |
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234 | 234 | current directory if no python names match what you've typed so far. |
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235 | 235 | |
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236 | 236 | |
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237 | 237 | Search command history |
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238 | 238 | ++++++++++++++++++++++ |
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239 | 239 | |
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240 | 240 | IPython provides two ways for searching through previous input and thus |
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241 | 241 | reduce the need for repetitive typing: |
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242 | 242 | |
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243 | 243 | 1. Start typing, and then use the up and down arrow keys (or :kbd:`Ctrl-p` |
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244 | 244 | and :kbd:`Ctrl-n`) to search through only the history items that match |
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245 | 245 | what you've typed so far. |
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246 | 246 | 2. Hit :kbd:`Ctrl-r`: to open a search prompt. Begin typing and the system |
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247 | 247 | searches your history for lines that contain what you've typed so |
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248 | 248 | far, completing as much as it can. |
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249 | 249 | |
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250 | 250 | IPython will save your input history when it leaves and reload it next |
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251 | 251 | time you restart it. By default, the history file is named |
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252 | 252 | :file:`.ipython/profile_{name}/history.sqlite`. |
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253 | 253 | |
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254 | 254 | Autoindent |
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255 | 255 | ++++++++++ |
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256 | 256 | |
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257 | 257 | IPython can recognize lines ending in ':' and indent the next line, |
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258 | 258 | while also un-indenting automatically after 'raise' or 'return'. |
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259 | 259 | |
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260 | 260 | This feature uses the readline library, so it will honor your |
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261 | 261 | :file:`~/.inputrc` configuration (or whatever file your :envvar:`INPUTRC` environment variable points |
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262 | 262 | to). Adding the following lines to your :file:`.inputrc` file can make |
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263 | 263 | indenting/unindenting more convenient (M-i indents, M-u unindents):: |
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264 | 264 | |
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265 | 265 | # if you don't already have a ~/.inputrc file, you need this include: |
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266 | 266 | $include /etc/inputrc |
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267 | 267 | |
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268 | 268 | $if Python |
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269 | 269 | "\M-i": " " |
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270 | 270 | "\M-u": "\d\d\d\d" |
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271 | 271 | $endif |
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272 | 272 | |
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273 | 273 | Note that there are 4 spaces between the quote marks after "M-i" above. |
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274 | 274 | |
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275 | 275 | .. warning:: |
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276 | 276 | |
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277 | 277 | Setting the above indents will cause problems with unicode text entry in |
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278 | 278 | the terminal. |
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279 | 279 | |
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280 | 280 | .. warning:: |
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281 | 281 | |
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282 | 282 | Autoindent is ON by default, but it can cause problems with the pasting of |
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283 | 283 | multi-line indented code (the pasted code gets re-indented on each line). A |
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284 | 284 | magic function %autoindent allows you to toggle it on/off at runtime. You |
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285 | 285 | can also disable it permanently on in your :file:`ipython_config.py` file |
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286 | 286 | (set TerminalInteractiveShell.autoindent=False). |
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287 | 287 | |
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288 | 288 | If you want to paste multiple lines in the terminal, it is recommended that |
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289 | 289 | you use ``%paste``. |
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290 | 290 | |
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291 | 291 | |
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292 | 292 | Customizing readline behavior |
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293 | 293 | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |
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294 | 294 | |
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295 | 295 | All these features are based on the GNU readline library, which has an |
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296 | 296 | extremely customizable interface. Normally, readline is configured via a |
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297 | 297 | :file:`.inputrc` file. IPython respects this, and you can also customise readline |
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298 | 298 | by setting the following :doc:`configuration </config/intro>` options: |
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299 | 299 | |
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300 | 300 | * ``InteractiveShell.readline_parse_and_bind``: this holds a list of strings to be executed |
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301 | 301 | via a readline.parse_and_bind() command. The syntax for valid commands |
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302 | 302 | of this kind can be found by reading the documentation for the GNU |
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303 | 303 | readline library, as these commands are of the kind which readline |
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304 | 304 | accepts in its configuration file. |
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305 | 305 | * ``InteractiveShell.readline_remove_delims``: a string of characters to be removed |
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306 | 306 | from the default word-delimiters list used by readline, so that |
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307 | 307 | completions may be performed on strings which contain them. Do not |
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308 | 308 | change the default value unless you know what you're doing. |
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309 | 309 | |
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310 | 310 | You will find the default values in your configuration file. |
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311 | 311 | |
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312 | 312 | |
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313 | 313 | Session logging and restoring |
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314 | 314 | ----------------------------- |
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315 | 315 | |
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316 | 316 | You can log all input from a session either by starting IPython with the |
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317 | 317 | command line switch ``--logfile=foo.py`` (see :ref:`here <command_line_options>`) |
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318 | 318 | or by activating the logging at any moment with the magic function :magic:`logstart`. |
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319 | 319 | |
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320 | 320 | Log files can later be reloaded by running them as scripts and IPython |
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321 | 321 | will attempt to 'replay' the log by executing all the lines in it, thus |
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322 | 322 | restoring the state of a previous session. This feature is not quite |
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323 | 323 | perfect, but can still be useful in many cases. |
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324 | 324 | |
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325 | 325 | The log files can also be used as a way to have a permanent record of |
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326 | 326 | any code you wrote while experimenting. Log files are regular text files |
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327 | 327 | which you can later open in your favorite text editor to extract code or |
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328 | 328 | to 'clean them up' before using them to replay a session. |
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329 | 329 | |
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330 | 330 | The :magic:`logstart` function for activating logging in mid-session is used as |
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331 | 331 | follows:: |
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332 | 332 | |
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333 | 333 | %logstart [log_name [log_mode]] |
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334 | 334 | |
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335 | 335 | If no name is given, it defaults to a file named 'ipython_log.py' in your |
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336 | 336 | current working directory, in 'rotate' mode (see below). |
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337 | 337 | |
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338 | 338 | '%logstart name' saves to file 'name' in 'backup' mode. It saves your |
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339 | 339 | history up to that point and then continues logging. |
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340 | 340 | |
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341 | 341 | %logstart takes a second optional parameter: logging mode. This can be |
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342 | 342 | one of (note that the modes are given unquoted): |
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343 | 343 | |
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344 | 344 | * [over:] overwrite existing log_name. |
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345 | 345 | * [backup:] rename (if exists) to log_name~ and start log_name. |
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346 | 346 | * [append:] well, that says it. |
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347 | 347 | * [rotate:] create rotating logs log_name.1~, log_name.2~, etc. |
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348 | 348 | |
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349 | 349 | The :magic:`logoff` and :magic:`logon` functions allow you to temporarily stop and |
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350 | 350 | resume logging to a file which had previously been started with |
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351 | 351 | %logstart. They will fail (with an explanation) if you try to use them |
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352 | 352 | before logging has been started. |
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353 | 353 | |
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354 | 354 | .. _system_shell_access: |
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355 | 355 | |
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356 | 356 | System shell access |
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357 | 357 | ------------------- |
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358 | 358 | |
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359 | 359 | Any input line beginning with a ! character is passed verbatim (minus |
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360 | 360 | the !, of course) to the underlying operating system. For example, |
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361 | 361 | typing ``!ls`` will run 'ls' in the current directory. |
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362 | 362 | |
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363 | 363 | .. _manual_capture: |
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364 | 364 | |
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365 | 365 | Manual capture of command output and magic output |
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366 | 366 | ------------------------------------------------- |
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367 | 367 | |
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368 | 368 | You can assign the result of a system command to a Python variable with the |
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369 | 369 | syntax ``myfiles = !ls``. Similarly, the result of a magic (as long as it returns |
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370 | 370 | a value) can be assigned to a variable. For example, the syntax ``myfiles = %sx ls`` |
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371 | 371 | is equivalent to the above system command example (the :magic:`sx` magic runs a shell command |
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372 | 372 | and captures the output). Each of these gets machine |
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373 | 373 | readable output from stdout (e.g. without colours), and splits on newlines. To |
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374 | 374 | explicitly get this sort of output without assigning to a variable, use two |
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375 | 375 | exclamation marks (``!!ls``) or the :magic:`sx` magic command without an assignment. |
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376 | 376 | (However, ``!!`` commands cannot be assigned to a variable.) |
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377 | 377 | |
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378 | 378 | The captured list in this example has some convenience features. ``myfiles.n`` or ``myfiles.s`` |
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379 | 379 | returns a string delimited by newlines or spaces, respectively. ``myfiles.p`` |
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380 | 380 | produces `path objects <http://pypi.python.org/pypi/path.py>`_ from the list items. |
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381 | 381 | See :ref:`string_lists` for details. |
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382 | 382 | |
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383 | 383 | IPython also allows you to expand the value of python variables when |
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384 | 384 | making system calls. Wrap variables or expressions in {braces}:: |
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385 | 385 | |
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386 | 386 | In [1]: pyvar = 'Hello world' |
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387 | 387 | In [2]: !echo "A python variable: {pyvar}" |
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388 | 388 | A python variable: Hello world |
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389 | 389 | In [3]: import math |
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390 | 390 | In [4]: x = 8 |
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391 | 391 | In [5]: !echo {math.factorial(x)} |
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392 | 392 | 40320 |
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393 | 393 | |
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394 | 394 | For simple cases, you can alternatively prepend $ to a variable name:: |
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395 | 395 | |
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396 | 396 | In [6]: !echo $sys.argv |
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397 | 397 | [/home/fperez/usr/bin/ipython] |
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398 | 398 | In [7]: !echo "A system variable: $$HOME" # Use $$ for literal $ |
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399 | 399 | A system variable: /home/fperez |
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400 | 400 | |
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401 | 401 | Note that `$$` is used to represent a literal `$`. |
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402 | 402 | |
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403 | 403 | System command aliases |
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404 | 404 | ---------------------- |
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405 | 405 | |
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406 | 406 | The :magic:`alias` magic function allows you to define magic functions which are in fact |
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407 | 407 | system shell commands. These aliases can have parameters. |
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408 | 408 | |
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409 | 409 | ``%alias alias_name cmd`` defines 'alias_name' as an alias for 'cmd' |
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410 | 410 | |
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411 | 411 | Then, typing ``alias_name params`` will execute the system command 'cmd |
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412 | 412 | params' (from your underlying operating system). |
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413 | 413 | |
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414 | 414 | You can also define aliases with parameters using %s specifiers (one per |
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415 | 415 | parameter). The following example defines the parts function as an |
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416 | 416 | alias to the command 'echo first %s second %s' where each %s will be |
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417 | 417 | replaced by a positional parameter to the call to %parts:: |
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418 | 418 | |
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419 | 419 | In [1]: %alias parts echo first %s second %s |
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420 | 420 | In [2]: parts A B |
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421 | 421 | first A second B |
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422 | 422 | In [3]: parts A |
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423 | 423 | ERROR: Alias <parts> requires 2 arguments, 1 given. |
|
424 | 424 | |
|
425 | 425 | If called with no parameters, :magic:`alias` prints the table of currently |
|
426 | 426 | defined aliases. |
|
427 | 427 | |
|
428 | 428 | The :magic:`rehashx` magic allows you to load your entire $PATH as |
|
429 | 429 | ipython aliases. See its docstring for further details. |
|
430 | 430 | |
|
431 | 431 | |
|
432 | 432 | .. _dreload: |
|
433 | 433 | |
|
434 | 434 | Recursive reload |
|
435 | 435 | ---------------- |
|
436 | 436 | |
|
437 | 437 | The :mod:`IPython.lib.deepreload` module allows you to recursively reload a |
|
438 | 438 | module: changes made to any of its dependencies will be reloaded without |
|
439 | 439 | having to exit. To start using it, do:: |
|
440 | 440 | |
|
441 | 441 | from IPython.lib.deepreload import reload as dreload |
|
442 | 442 | |
|
443 | 443 | |
|
444 | 444 | Verbose and colored exception traceback printouts |
|
445 | 445 | ------------------------------------------------- |
|
446 | 446 | |
|
447 | 447 | IPython provides the option to see very detailed exception tracebacks, |
|
448 | 448 | which can be especially useful when debugging large programs. You can |
|
449 | 449 | run any Python file with the %run function to benefit from these |
|
450 | 450 | detailed tracebacks. Furthermore, both normal and verbose tracebacks can |
|
451 | 451 | be colored (if your terminal supports it) which makes them much easier |
|
452 | 452 | to parse visually. |
|
453 | 453 | |
|
454 | 454 | See the magic :magic:`xmode` and :magic:`colors` functions for details. |
|
455 | 455 | |
|
456 | 456 | These features are basically a terminal version of Ka-Ping Yee's cgitb |
|
457 | 457 | module, now part of the standard Python library. |
|
458 | 458 | |
|
459 | 459 | |
|
460 | 460 | .. _input_caching: |
|
461 | 461 | |
|
462 | 462 | Input caching system |
|
463 | 463 | -------------------- |
|
464 | 464 | |
|
465 | 465 | IPython offers numbered prompts (In/Out) with input and output caching |
|
466 | 466 | (also referred to as 'input history'). All input is saved and can be |
|
467 | 467 | retrieved as variables (besides the usual arrow key recall), in |
|
468 | 468 | addition to the :magic:`rep` magic command that brings a history entry |
|
469 | 469 | up for editing on the next command line. |
|
470 | 470 | |
|
471 | 471 | The following variables always exist: |
|
472 | 472 | |
|
473 | 473 | * _i, _ii, _iii: store previous, next previous and next-next previous inputs. |
|
474 | 474 | * In, _ih : a list of all inputs; _ih[n] is the input from line n. If you |
|
475 | 475 | overwrite In with a variable of your own, you can remake the assignment to the |
|
476 | 476 | internal list with a simple ``In=_ih``. |
|
477 | 477 | |
|
478 | 478 | Additionally, global variables named _i<n> are dynamically created (<n> |
|
479 | 479 | being the prompt counter), so ``_i<n> == _ih[<n>] == In[<n>]``. |
|
480 | 480 | |
|
481 | 481 | For example, what you typed at prompt 14 is available as ``_i14``, ``_ih[14]`` |
|
482 | 482 | and ``In[14]``. |
|
483 | 483 | |
|
484 | 484 | This allows you to easily cut and paste multi line interactive prompts |
|
485 | 485 | by printing them out: they print like a clean string, without prompt |
|
486 | 486 | characters. You can also manipulate them like regular variables (they |
|
487 | 487 | are strings), modify or exec them. |
|
488 | 488 | |
|
489 | 489 | You can also re-execute multiple lines of input easily by using the |
|
490 | 490 | magic :magic:`rerun` or :magic:`macro` functions. The macro system also allows you to re-execute |
|
491 | 491 | previous lines which include magic function calls (which require special |
|
492 | 492 | processing). Type %macro? for more details on the macro system. |
|
493 | 493 | |
|
494 | 494 | A history function :magic:`history` allows you to see any part of your input |
|
495 | 495 | history by printing a range of the _i variables. |
|
496 | 496 | |
|
497 | 497 | You can also search ('grep') through your history by typing |
|
498 | 498 | ``%hist -g somestring``. This is handy for searching for URLs, IP addresses, |
|
499 | 499 | etc. You can bring history entries listed by '%hist -g' up for editing |
|
500 | 500 | with the %recall command, or run them immediately with :magic:`rerun`. |
|
501 | 501 | |
|
502 | 502 | .. _output_caching: |
|
503 | 503 | |
|
504 | 504 | Output caching system |
|
505 | 505 | --------------------- |
|
506 | 506 | |
|
507 | 507 | For output that is returned from actions, a system similar to the input |
|
508 | 508 | cache exists but using _ instead of _i. Only actions that produce a |
|
509 | 509 | result (NOT assignments, for example) are cached. If you are familiar |
|
510 | 510 | with Mathematica, IPython's _ variables behave exactly like |
|
511 | 511 | Mathematica's % variables. |
|
512 | 512 | |
|
513 | 513 | The following variables always exist: |
|
514 | 514 | |
|
515 | 515 | * [_] (a single underscore): stores previous output, like Python's |
|
516 | 516 | default interpreter. |
|
517 | 517 | * [__] (two underscores): next previous. |
|
518 | 518 | * [___] (three underscores): next-next previous. |
|
519 | 519 | |
|
520 | 520 | Additionally, global variables named _<n> are dynamically created (<n> |
|
521 | 521 | being the prompt counter), such that the result of output <n> is always |
|
522 | 522 | available as _<n> (don't use the angle brackets, just the number, e.g. |
|
523 | 523 | ``_21``). |
|
524 | 524 | |
|
525 | 525 | These variables are also stored in a global dictionary (not a |
|
526 | 526 | list, since it only has entries for lines which returned a result) |
|
527 | 527 | available under the names _oh and Out (similar to _ih and In). So the |
|
528 | 528 | output from line 12 can be obtained as ``_12``, ``Out[12]`` or ``_oh[12]``. If you |
|
529 | 529 | accidentally overwrite the Out variable you can recover it by typing |
|
530 | 530 | ``Out=_oh`` at the prompt. |
|
531 | 531 | |
|
532 | 532 | This system obviously can potentially put heavy memory demands on your |
|
533 | 533 | system, since it prevents Python's garbage collector from removing any |
|
534 | 534 | previously computed results. You can control how many results are kept |
|
535 | 535 | in memory with the configuration option ``InteractiveShell.cache_size``. |
|
536 | 536 | If you set it to 0, output caching is disabled. You can also use the :magic:`reset` |
|
537 | 537 | and :magic:`xdel` magics to clear large items from memory. |
|
538 | 538 | |
|
539 | 539 | Directory history |
|
540 | 540 | ----------------- |
|
541 | 541 | |
|
542 | 542 | Your history of visited directories is kept in the global list _dh, and |
|
543 | 543 | the magic :magic:`cd` command can be used to go to any entry in that list. The |
|
544 | 544 | :magic:`dhist` command allows you to view this history. Do ``cd -<TAB>`` to |
|
545 | 545 | conveniently view the directory history. |
|
546 | 546 | |
|
547 | 547 | |
|
548 | 548 | Automatic parentheses and quotes |
|
549 | 549 | -------------------------------- |
|
550 | 550 | |
|
551 | 551 | These features were adapted from Nathan Gray's LazyPython. They are |
|
552 | 552 | meant to allow less typing for common situations. |
|
553 | 553 | |
|
554 | 554 | Callable objects (i.e. functions, methods, etc) can be invoked like this |
|
555 | 555 | (notice the commas between the arguments):: |
|
556 | 556 | |
|
557 | 557 | In [1]: callable_ob arg1, arg2, arg3 |
|
558 | 558 | ------> callable_ob(arg1, arg2, arg3) |
|
559 | 559 | |
|
560 | 560 | .. note:: |
|
561 | 561 | This feature is disabled by default. To enable it, use the ``%autocall`` |
|
562 | 562 | magic command. The commands below with special prefixes will always work, |
|
563 | 563 | however. |
|
564 | 564 | |
|
565 | 565 | You can force automatic parentheses by using '/' as the first character |
|
566 | 566 | of a line. For example:: |
|
567 | 567 | |
|
568 | 568 | In [2]: /globals # becomes 'globals()' |
|
569 | 569 | |
|
570 | 570 | Note that the '/' MUST be the first character on the line! This won't work:: |
|
571 | 571 | |
|
572 | 572 | In [3]: print /globals # syntax error |
|
573 | 573 | |
|
574 | 574 | In most cases the automatic algorithm should work, so you should rarely |
|
575 | 575 | need to explicitly invoke /. One notable exception is if you are trying |
|
576 | 576 | to call a function with a list of tuples as arguments (the parenthesis |
|
577 | 577 | will confuse IPython):: |
|
578 | 578 | |
|
579 | 579 | In [4]: zip (1,2,3),(4,5,6) # won't work |
|
580 | 580 | |
|
581 | 581 | but this will work:: |
|
582 | 582 | |
|
583 | 583 | In [5]: /zip (1,2,3),(4,5,6) |
|
584 | 584 | ------> zip ((1,2,3),(4,5,6)) |
|
585 | 585 | Out[5]: [(1, 4), (2, 5), (3, 6)] |
|
586 | 586 | |
|
587 | 587 | IPython tells you that it has altered your command line by displaying |
|
588 | 588 | the new command line preceded by ``--->``. |
|
589 | 589 | |
|
590 | 590 | You can force automatic quoting of a function's arguments by using ``,`` |
|
591 | 591 | or ``;`` as the first character of a line. For example:: |
|
592 | 592 | |
|
593 | 593 | In [1]: ,my_function /home/me # becomes my_function("/home/me") |
|
594 | 594 | |
|
595 | 595 | If you use ';' the whole argument is quoted as a single string, while ',' splits |
|
596 | 596 | on whitespace:: |
|
597 | 597 | |
|
598 | 598 | In [2]: ,my_function a b c # becomes my_function("a","b","c") |
|
599 | 599 | |
|
600 | 600 | In [3]: ;my_function a b c # becomes my_function("a b c") |
|
601 | 601 | |
|
602 | 602 | Note that the ',' or ';' MUST be the first character on the line! This |
|
603 | 603 | won't work:: |
|
604 | 604 | |
|
605 | 605 | In [4]: x = ,my_function /home/me # syntax error |
|
606 | 606 | |
|
607 | 607 | IPython as your default Python environment |
|
608 | 608 | ========================================== |
|
609 | 609 | |
|
610 | 610 | Python honors the environment variable :envvar:`PYTHONSTARTUP` and will |
|
611 | 611 | execute at startup the file referenced by this variable. If you put the |
|
612 | 612 | following code at the end of that file, then IPython will be your working |
|
613 | 613 | environment anytime you start Python:: |
|
614 | 614 | |
|
615 | 615 | import os, IPython |
|
616 | 616 | os.environ['PYTHONSTARTUP'] = '' # Prevent running this again |
|
617 | 617 | IPython.start_ipython() |
|
618 | 618 | raise SystemExit |
|
619 | 619 | |
|
620 | 620 | The ``raise SystemExit`` is needed to exit Python when |
|
621 | 621 | it finishes, otherwise you'll be back at the normal Python ``>>>`` |
|
622 | 622 | prompt. |
|
623 | 623 | |
|
624 | 624 | This is probably useful to developers who manage multiple Python |
|
625 | 625 | versions and don't want to have correspondingly multiple IPython |
|
626 | 626 | versions. Note that in this mode, there is no way to pass IPython any |
|
627 | 627 | command-line options, as those are trapped first by Python itself. |
|
628 | 628 | |
|
629 | 629 | .. _Embedding: |
|
630 | 630 | |
|
631 | 631 | Embedding IPython |
|
632 | 632 | ================= |
|
633 | 633 | |
|
634 | 634 | You can start a regular IPython session with |
|
635 | 635 | |
|
636 | 636 | .. sourcecode:: python |
|
637 | 637 | |
|
638 | 638 | import IPython |
|
639 | 639 | IPython.start_ipython(argv=[]) |
|
640 | 640 | |
|
641 | 641 | at any point in your program. This will load IPython configuration, |
|
642 | 642 | startup files, and everything, just as if it were a normal IPython session. |
|
643 | 643 | |
|
644 | 644 | It is also possible to embed an IPython shell in a namespace in your Python code. |
|
645 | 645 | This allows you to evaluate dynamically the state of your code, |
|
646 | 646 | operate with your variables, analyze them, etc. Note however that |
|
647 | 647 | any changes you make to values while in the shell do not propagate back |
|
648 | 648 | to the running code, so it is safe to modify your values because you |
|
649 | 649 | won't break your code in bizarre ways by doing so. |
|
650 | 650 | |
|
651 | 651 | .. note:: |
|
652 | 652 | |
|
653 | 653 | At present, embedding IPython cannot be done from inside IPython. |
|
654 | 654 | Run the code samples below outside IPython. |
|
655 | 655 | |
|
656 | 656 | This feature allows you to easily have a fully functional python |
|
657 | 657 | environment for doing object introspection anywhere in your code with a |
|
658 | 658 | simple function call. In some cases a simple print statement is enough, |
|
659 | 659 | but if you need to do more detailed analysis of a code fragment this |
|
660 | 660 | feature can be very valuable. |
|
661 | 661 | |
|
662 | 662 | It can also be useful in scientific computing situations where it is |
|
663 | 663 | common to need to do some automatic, computationally intensive part and |
|
664 | 664 | then stop to look at data, plots, etc. |
|
665 | 665 | Opening an IPython instance will give you full access to your data and |
|
666 | 666 | functions, and you can resume program execution once you are done with |
|
667 | 667 | the interactive part (perhaps to stop again later, as many times as |
|
668 | 668 | needed). |
|
669 | 669 | |
|
670 | 670 | The following code snippet is the bare minimum you need to include in |
|
671 | 671 | your Python programs for this to work (detailed examples follow later):: |
|
672 | 672 | |
|
673 | 673 | from IPython import embed |
|
674 | 674 | |
|
675 | 675 | embed() # this call anywhere in your program will start IPython |
|
676 | 676 | |
|
677 | 677 | You can also embed an IPython *kernel*, for use with qtconsole, etc. via |
|
678 | 678 | ``IPython.embed_kernel()``. This should function work the same way, but you can |
|
679 | 679 | connect an external frontend (``ipython qtconsole`` or ``ipython console``), |
|
680 | 680 | rather than interacting with it in the terminal. |
|
681 | 681 | |
|
682 | 682 | You can run embedded instances even in code which is itself being run at |
|
683 | 683 | the IPython interactive prompt with '%run <filename>'. Since it's easy |
|
684 | 684 | to get lost as to where you are (in your top-level IPython or in your |
|
685 | 685 | embedded one), it's a good idea in such cases to set the in/out prompts |
|
686 | 686 | to something different for the embedded instances. The code examples |
|
687 | 687 | below illustrate this. |
|
688 | 688 | |
|
689 | 689 | You can also have multiple IPython instances in your program and open |
|
690 | 690 | them separately, for example with different options for data |
|
691 | 691 | presentation. If you close and open the same instance multiple times, |
|
692 | 692 | its prompt counters simply continue from each execution to the next. |
|
693 | 693 | |
|
694 | 694 | Please look at the docstrings in the :mod:`~IPython.frontend.terminal.embed` |
|
695 | 695 | module for more details on the use of this system. |
|
696 | 696 | |
|
697 | 697 | The following sample file illustrating how to use the embedding |
|
698 | 698 | functionality is provided in the examples directory as embed_class_long.py. |
|
699 | 699 | It should be fairly self-explanatory: |
|
700 | 700 | |
|
701 | 701 | .. literalinclude:: ../../../examples/Embedding/embed_class_long.py |
|
702 | 702 | :language: python |
|
703 | 703 | |
|
704 | 704 | Once you understand how the system functions, you can use the following |
|
705 | 705 | code fragments in your programs which are ready for cut and paste: |
|
706 | 706 | |
|
707 | 707 | .. literalinclude:: ../../../examples/Embedding/embed_class_short.py |
|
708 | 708 | :language: python |
|
709 | 709 | |
|
710 | 710 | Using the Python debugger (pdb) |
|
711 | 711 | =============================== |
|
712 | 712 | |
|
713 | 713 | Running entire programs via pdb |
|
714 | 714 | ------------------------------- |
|
715 | 715 | |
|
716 | 716 | pdb, the Python debugger, is a powerful interactive debugger which |
|
717 | 717 | allows you to step through code, set breakpoints, watch variables, |
|
718 | 718 | etc. IPython makes it very easy to start any script under the control |
|
719 | 719 | of pdb, regardless of whether you have wrapped it into a 'main()' |
|
720 | 720 | function or not. For this, simply type ``%run -d myscript`` at an |
|
721 | 721 | IPython prompt. See the :magic:`run` command's documentation for more details, including |
|
722 | 722 | how to control where pdb will stop execution first. |
|
723 | 723 | |
|
724 | 724 | For more information on the use of the pdb debugger, see :ref:`debugger-commands` |
|
725 | 725 | in the Python documentation. |
|
726 | 726 | |
|
727 | 727 | |
|
728 | 728 | Post-mortem debugging |
|
729 | 729 | --------------------- |
|
730 | 730 | |
|
731 | 731 | Going into a debugger when an exception occurs can be |
|
732 | 732 | extremely useful in order to find the origin of subtle bugs, because pdb |
|
733 | 733 | opens up at the point in your code which triggered the exception, and |
|
734 | 734 | while your program is at this point 'dead', all the data is still |
|
735 | 735 | available and you can walk up and down the stack frame and understand |
|
736 | 736 | the origin of the problem. |
|
737 | 737 | |
|
738 | 738 | You can use the :magic:`debug` magic after an exception has occurred to start |
|
739 | 739 | post-mortem debugging. IPython can also call debugger every time your code |
|
740 | 740 | triggers an uncaught exception. This feature can be toggled with the :magic:`pdb` magic |
|
741 | 741 | command, or you can start IPython with the ``--pdb`` option. |
|
742 | 742 | |
|
743 | 743 | For a post-mortem debugger in your programs outside IPython, |
|
744 | 744 | put the following lines toward the top of your 'main' routine:: |
|
745 | 745 | |
|
746 | 746 | import sys |
|
747 | 747 | from IPython.core import ultratb |
|
748 | 748 | sys.excepthook = ultratb.FormattedTB(mode='Verbose', |
|
749 | 749 | color_scheme='Linux', call_pdb=1) |
|
750 | 750 | |
|
751 | 751 | The mode keyword can be either 'Verbose' or 'Plain', giving either very |
|
752 | 752 | detailed or normal tracebacks respectively. The color_scheme keyword can |
|
753 | 753 | be one of 'NoColor', 'Linux' (default) or 'LightBG'. These are the same |
|
754 | 754 | options which can be set in IPython with ``--colors`` and ``--xmode``. |
|
755 | 755 | |
|
756 | 756 | This will give any of your programs detailed, colored tracebacks with |
|
757 | 757 | automatic invocation of pdb. |
|
758 | 758 | |
|
759 | 759 | .. _pasting_with_prompts: |
|
760 | 760 | |
|
761 | 761 | Pasting of code starting with Python or IPython prompts |
|
762 | 762 | ======================================================= |
|
763 | 763 | |
|
764 | 764 | IPython is smart enough to filter out input prompts, be they plain Python ones |
|
765 | 765 | (``>>>`` and ``...``) or IPython ones (``In [N]:`` and ``...:``). You can |
|
766 | 766 | therefore copy and paste from existing interactive sessions without worry. |
|
767 | 767 | |
|
768 | 768 | The following is a 'screenshot' of how things work, copying an example from the |
|
769 | 769 | standard Python tutorial:: |
|
770 | 770 | |
|
771 | 771 | In [1]: >>> # Fibonacci series: |
|
772 | 772 | |
|
773 | 773 | In [2]: ... # the sum of two elements defines the next |
|
774 | 774 | |
|
775 | 775 | In [3]: ... a, b = 0, 1 |
|
776 | 776 | |
|
777 | 777 | In [4]: >>> while b < 10: |
|
778 | 778 | ...: ... print(b) |
|
779 | 779 | ...: ... a, b = b, a+b |
|
780 | 780 | ...: |
|
781 | 781 | 1 |
|
782 | 782 | 1 |
|
783 | 783 | 2 |
|
784 | 784 | 3 |
|
785 | 785 | 5 |
|
786 | 786 | 8 |
|
787 | 787 | |
|
788 | 788 | And pasting from IPython sessions works equally well:: |
|
789 | 789 | |
|
790 | 790 | In [1]: In [5]: def f(x): |
|
791 | 791 | ...: ...: "A simple function" |
|
792 | 792 | ...: ...: return x**2 |
|
793 | 793 | ...: ...: |
|
794 | 794 | |
|
795 | 795 | In [2]: f(3) |
|
796 | 796 | Out[2]: 9 |
|
797 | 797 | |
|
798 | 798 | .. _gui_support: |
|
799 | 799 | |
|
800 | 800 | GUI event loop support |
|
801 | 801 | ====================== |
|
802 | 802 | |
|
803 | 803 | .. versionadded:: 0.11 |
|
804 | 804 | The ``%gui`` magic and :mod:`IPython.lib.inputhook`. |
|
805 | 805 | |
|
806 | 806 | IPython has excellent support for working interactively with Graphical User |
|
807 | 807 | Interface (GUI) toolkits, such as wxPython, PyQt4/PySide, PyGTK and Tk. This is |
|
808 | 808 | implemented using Python's builtin ``PyOSInputHook`` hook. This implementation |
|
809 | 809 | is extremely robust compared to our previous thread-based version. The |
|
810 | 810 | advantages of this are: |
|
811 | 811 | |
|
812 | 812 | * GUIs can be enabled and disabled dynamically at runtime. |
|
813 | 813 | * The active GUI can be switched dynamically at runtime. |
|
814 | 814 | * In some cases, multiple GUIs can run simultaneously with no problems. |
|
815 | 815 | * There is a developer API in :mod:`IPython.lib.inputhook` for customizing |
|
816 | 816 | all of these things. |
|
817 | 817 | |
|
818 | 818 | For users, enabling GUI event loop integration is simple. You simple use the |
|
819 | 819 | :magic:`gui` magic as follows:: |
|
820 | 820 | |
|
821 | 821 | %gui [GUINAME] |
|
822 | 822 | |
|
823 | 823 | With no arguments, ``%gui`` removes all GUI support. Valid ``GUINAME`` |
|
824 | 824 | arguments are ``wx``, ``qt``, ``gtk`` and ``tk``. |
|
825 | 825 | |
|
826 | 826 | Thus, to use wxPython interactively and create a running :class:`wx.App` |
|
827 | 827 | object, do:: |
|
828 | 828 | |
|
829 | 829 | %gui wx |
|
830 | 830 | |
|
831 | 831 | You can also start IPython with an event loop set up using the :option:`--gui` |
|
832 | 832 | flag:: |
|
833 | 833 | |
|
834 | 834 | $ ipython --gui=qt |
|
835 | 835 | |
|
836 | 836 | For information on IPython's matplotlib_ integration (and the ``matplotlib`` |
|
837 | 837 | mode) see :ref:`this section <matplotlib_support>`. |
|
838 | 838 | |
|
839 | 839 | For developers that want to use IPython's GUI event loop integration in the |
|
840 | 840 | form of a library, these capabilities are exposed in library form in the |
|
841 | 841 | :mod:`IPython.lib.inputhook` and :mod:`IPython.lib.guisupport` modules. |
|
842 | 842 | Interested developers should see the module docstrings for more information, |
|
843 | 843 | but there are a few points that should be mentioned here. |
|
844 | 844 | |
|
845 | 845 | First, the ``PyOSInputHook`` approach only works in command line settings |
|
846 | 846 | where readline is activated. The integration with various eventloops |
|
847 | 847 | is handled somewhat differently (and more simply) when using the standalone |
|
848 | 848 | kernel, as in the qtconsole and notebook. |
|
849 | 849 | |
|
850 | 850 | Second, when using the ``PyOSInputHook`` approach, a GUI application should |
|
851 | 851 | *not* start its event loop. Instead all of this is handled by the |
|
852 | 852 | ``PyOSInputHook``. This means that applications that are meant to be used both |
|
853 | 853 | in IPython and as standalone apps need to have special code to detects how the |
|
854 | 854 | application is being run. We highly recommend using IPython's support for this. |
|
855 | 855 | Since the details vary slightly between toolkits, we point you to the various |
|
856 | 856 | examples in our source directory :file:`examples/Embedding` that demonstrate |
|
857 | 857 | these capabilities. |
|
858 | 858 | |
|
859 | 859 | Third, unlike previous versions of IPython, we no longer "hijack" (replace |
|
860 | 860 | them with no-ops) the event loops. This is done to allow applications that |
|
861 | 861 | actually need to run the real event loops to do so. This is often needed to |
|
862 | 862 | process pending events at critical points. |
|
863 | 863 | |
|
864 | 864 | Finally, we also have a number of examples in our source directory |
|
865 | 865 | :file:`examples/Embedding` that demonstrate these capabilities. |
|
866 | 866 | |
|
867 | 867 | PyQt and PySide |
|
868 | 868 | --------------- |
|
869 | 869 | |
|
870 | 870 | .. attempt at explanation of the complete mess that is Qt support |
|
871 | 871 | |
|
872 | 872 | When you use ``--gui=qt`` or ``--matplotlib=qt``, IPython can work with either |
|
873 | 873 | PyQt4 or PySide. There are three options for configuration here, because |
|
874 | 874 | PyQt4 has two APIs for QString and QVariant: v1, which is the default on |
|
875 | 875 | Python 2, and the more natural v2, which is the only API supported by PySide. |
|
876 | 876 | v2 is also the default for PyQt4 on Python 3. IPython's code for the QtConsole |
|
877 | 877 | uses v2, but you can still use any interface in your code, since the |
|
878 | 878 | Qt frontend is in a different process. |
|
879 | 879 | |
|
880 | 880 | The default will be to import PyQt4 without configuration of the APIs, thus |
|
881 | 881 | matching what most applications would expect. It will fall back to PySide if |
|
882 | 882 | PyQt4 is unavailable. |
|
883 | 883 | |
|
884 | 884 | If specified, IPython will respect the environment variable ``QT_API`` used |
|
885 | 885 | by ETS. ETS 4.0 also works with both PyQt4 and PySide, but it requires |
|
886 | 886 | PyQt4 to use its v2 API. So if ``QT_API=pyside`` PySide will be used, |
|
887 | 887 | and if ``QT_API=pyqt`` then PyQt4 will be used *with the v2 API* for |
|
888 | 888 | QString and QVariant, so ETS codes like MayaVi will also work with IPython. |
|
889 | 889 | |
|
890 | 890 | If you launch IPython in matplotlib mode with ``ipython --matplotlib=qt``, |
|
891 | 891 | then IPython will ask matplotlib which Qt library to use (only if QT_API is |
|
892 | 892 | *not set*), via the 'backend.qt4' rcParam. If matplotlib is version 1.0.1 or |
|
893 | 893 | older, then IPython will always use PyQt4 without setting the v2 APIs, since |
|
894 | 894 | neither v2 PyQt nor PySide work. |
|
895 | 895 | |
|
896 | 896 | .. warning:: |
|
897 | 897 | |
|
898 | 898 | Note that this means for ETS 4 to work with PyQt4, ``QT_API`` *must* be set |
|
899 | 899 | to work with IPython's qt integration, because otherwise PyQt4 will be |
|
900 | 900 | loaded in an incompatible mode. |
|
901 | 901 | |
|
902 | 902 | It also means that you must *not* have ``QT_API`` set if you want to |
|
903 | 903 | use ``--gui=qt`` with code that requires PyQt4 API v1. |
|
904 | 904 | |
|
905 | 905 | |
|
906 | 906 | .. _matplotlib_support: |
|
907 | 907 | |
|
908 | 908 | Plotting with matplotlib |
|
909 | 909 | ======================== |
|
910 | 910 | |
|
911 | 911 | matplotlib_ provides high quality 2D and 3D plotting for Python. matplotlib_ |
|
912 | 912 | can produce plots on screen using a variety of GUI toolkits, including Tk, |
|
913 | 913 | PyGTK, PyQt4 and wxPython. It also provides a number of commands useful for |
|
914 | 914 | scientific computing, all with a syntax compatible with that of the popular |
|
915 | 915 | Matlab program. |
|
916 | 916 | |
|
917 | 917 | To start IPython with matplotlib support, use the ``--matplotlib`` switch. If |
|
918 | 918 | IPython is already running, you can run the :magic:`matplotlib` magic. If no |
|
919 | 919 | arguments are given, IPython will automatically detect your choice of |
|
920 | 920 | matplotlib backend. You can also request a specific backend with |
|
921 | 921 | ``%matplotlib backend``, where ``backend`` must be one of: 'tk', 'qt', 'wx', |
|
922 | 922 | 'gtk', 'osx'. In the web notebook and Qt console, 'inline' is also a valid |
|
923 | 923 | backend value, which produces static figures inlined inside the application |
|
924 | 924 | window instead of matplotlib's interactive figures that live in separate |
|
925 | 925 | windows. |
|
926 | 926 | |
|
927 | 927 | .. _interactive_demos: |
|
928 | 928 | |
|
929 | 929 | Interactive demos with IPython |
|
930 | 930 | ============================== |
|
931 | 931 | |
|
932 | 932 | IPython ships with a basic system for running scripts interactively in |
|
933 | 933 | sections, useful when presenting code to audiences. A few tags embedded |
|
934 | 934 | in comments (so that the script remains valid Python code) divide a file |
|
935 | 935 | into separate blocks, and the demo can be run one block at a time, with |
|
936 | 936 | IPython printing (with syntax highlighting) the block before executing |
|
937 | 937 | it, and returning to the interactive prompt after each block. The |
|
938 | 938 | interactive namespace is updated after each block is run with the |
|
939 | 939 | contents of the demo's namespace. |
|
940 | 940 | |
|
941 | 941 | This allows you to show a piece of code, run it and then execute |
|
942 | 942 | interactively commands based on the variables just created. Once you |
|
943 | 943 | want to continue, you simply execute the next block of the demo. The |
|
944 | 944 | following listing shows the markup necessary for dividing a script into |
|
945 | 945 | sections for execution as a demo: |
|
946 | 946 | |
|
947 | 947 | .. literalinclude:: ../../../examples/IPython Kernel/example-demo.py |
|
948 | 948 | :language: python |
|
949 | 949 | |
|
950 | 950 | In order to run a file as a demo, you must first make a Demo object out |
|
951 | 951 | of it. If the file is named myscript.py, the following code will make a |
|
952 | 952 | demo:: |
|
953 | 953 | |
|
954 | 954 | from IPython.lib.demo import Demo |
|
955 | 955 | |
|
956 | 956 | mydemo = Demo('myscript.py') |
|
957 | 957 | |
|
958 | 958 | This creates the mydemo object, whose blocks you run one at a time by |
|
959 | 959 | simply calling the object with no arguments. Then call it to run each step |
|
960 | 960 | of the demo:: |
|
961 | 961 | |
|
962 | 962 | mydemo() |
|
963 | 963 | |
|
964 | 964 | Demo objects can be |
|
965 | 965 | restarted, you can move forward or back skipping blocks, re-execute the |
|
966 | 966 | last block, etc. See the :mod:`IPython.lib.demo` module and the |
|
967 | 967 | :class:`~IPython.lib.demo.Demo` class for details. |
|
968 | 968 | |
|
969 | 969 | Limitations: These demos are limited to |
|
970 | 970 | fairly simple uses. In particular, you cannot break up sections within |
|
971 | 971 | indented code (loops, if statements, function definitions, etc.) |
|
972 | 972 | Supporting something like this would basically require tracking the |
|
973 | 973 | internal execution state of the Python interpreter, so only top-level |
|
974 | 974 | divisions are allowed. If you want to be able to open an IPython |
|
975 | 975 | instance at an arbitrary point in a program, you can use IPython's |
|
976 | 976 | :ref:`embedding facilities <Embedding>`. |
|
977 | 977 | |
|
978 | 978 | .. include:: ../links.txt |
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