How do I add tab completion to the Python shell?

ashchristopher_22306 0
Viewed 92339

When starting a django application using python manage.py shell, I get an InteractiveConsole shell - I can use tab completion, etc.

Python 2.5.1 (r251:54863, Apr 15 2008, 22:57:26) 
[GCC 4.0.1 (Apple Inc. build 5465)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
(InteractiveConsole)

When just starting a python interpreter using python, it doesn't offer tab completion.

Can someone tell me what django is doing to give me an interactive console, or what I need to do to start an interactive console without a django app?

interpreter shell python
9 Answers

I may have found a way to do it.

Create a file .pythonrc

# ~/.pythonrc
# enable syntax completion
try:
    import readline
except ImportError:
    print("Module readline not available.")
else:
    import rlcompleter
    readline.parse_and_bind("tab: complete")

then in your .bashrc file, add

export PYTHONSTARTUP=~/.pythonrc

That seems to work.

ashchristopher_223060
Peter_Hoffmann_7200
Thomas_Wouters_176240

Fix for Windows 10 shell:

pip install pyreadline3  # previously, pyreadline but that package was abandoned
pip install ipython
user_111564790

Yes. It's built in to 3.6.

fernanr@gnuruwi ~ $ python3.6
Python 3.6.3 (default, Apr 10 2019, 14:37:36)
[GCC 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-16)] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import os
>>> os.
Display all 318 possibilities? (y or n)
os.CLD_CONTINUED             os.O_RDONLY                  os.ST_NOEXEC                 os.environ                   os.getpid(                   os.readlink(                 os.spawnvpe(
os.CLD_DUMPED                os.O_RDWR                    os.ST_NOSUID                 os.environb                  os.getppid(                  os.readv(                    os.st
user_101655560

For older versions (2.x) above script works like charm :)

fernanr@crsatx4 ~ $ cat .bashrc | grep -i python
#Tab completion for python shell
export PYTHONSTARTUP=~/.pythonrc
fernanr@crsatx4 ~ $ . ~/.bashrc
fernanr@crsatx4 ~ $ echo $?
0
fernanr@crsatx4 ~ $ python2
Python 2.7.5 (default, Jun 11 2019, 14:33:56)
[GCC 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-39)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import os
>>> os.
Display all 249 possibilities? (y or n)
os.EX_CANTCREAT             os.O_WRONLY
user_101655560
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