How do you see the entire command history in interactive Python?

user_793450 0
Viewed 145009

I'm working on the default python interpreter on Mac OS X, and I Cmd+K (cleared) my earlier commands. I can go through them one by one using the arrow keys. But is there an option like the --history option in bash shell, which shows you all the commands you've entered so far?

macos python
10 Answers

In IPython %history -g should give you the entire command history. The default configuration also saves your history into a file named .python_history in your user directory.

user_99057450

@Jason-V, it really help, thanks. then, i found this examples and composed to own snippet. 

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import os, readline, atexit
python_history = os.path.join(os.environ['HOME'], '.python_history')
try:
  readline.read_history_file(python_history)
  readline.parse_and_bind("tab: complete")
  readline.set_history_length(5000)
  atexit.register(readline.write_history_file, python_history)
except IOError:
  pass
del os, python_history, readline, atexit
user_37643690

A simple function to get the history similar to unix/bash version.

Hope it helps some new folks.

def ipyhistory(lastn=None):
    """
    param: lastn Defaults to None i.e full history. If specified then returns lastn records from history.
           Also takes -ve sequence for first n history records.
    """
    import readline
    assert lastn is None or isinstance(lastn, int), "Only integers are allowed."
    hlen = readline.get_current_history_length()
    is_neg = lastn is not None and lastn < 0
    if not is_neg:
        flen = len(str(hlen)) if not lastn else len(str(lastn))
        for r in range(1,hlen+1) if not lastn else range(1, hlen+1)[-lastn:]:
            print(": ".join([str(r if not lastn else r + lastn - hlen ).rjust(flen), readline.get_history_item(r)]))
    else:
        flen = len(str(-hlen))
        for r in range(1, -lastn + 1):
            print(": ".join([str(r).rjust(flen), readline.get_history_item(r)]))

Snippet: Tested with Python3. Let me know if there are any glitches with python2. Samples:

Full History : ipyhistory()

Last 10 History: ipyhistory(10)

First 10 History: ipyhistory(-10)

Hope it helps fellas.

user_35185800

This should give you the commands printed out in separate lines:

import readline
map(lambda p:print(readline.get_history_item(p)),
    map(lambda p:p, range(readline.get_current_history_length()))
)
user_68365780

Rehash of Doogle's answer that doesn't printline numbers, but does allow specifying the number of lines to print.

def history(lastn=None):
    """
    param: lastn Defaults to None i.e full history. If specified then returns lastn records from history.
           Also takes -ve sequence for first n history records.
    """
    import readline
    assert lastn is None or isinstance(lastn, int), "Only integers are allowed."
    hlen = readline.get_current_history_length()
    is_neg = lastn is not None and lastn < 0
    if not is_neg:
        for r in range(1,hlen+1) if not lastn else range(1, hlen+1)[-lastn:]:
            print(readline.get_history_item(r))
    else:
        for r in range(1, -lastn + 1):
            print(readline.get_history_item(r))
user_10481860
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