How to Save a Python Interactive Session

How to save a Python interactive session?

IPython is extremely useful if you like using interactive sessions. For example for your use-case there is the %save magic command, you just input %save my_useful_session 10-20 23 to save input lines 10 to 20 and 23 to my_useful_session.py (to help with this, every line is prefixed by its number).

Furthermore, the documentation states:

This function uses the same syntax as %history for input ranges, then saves the lines to the filename you specify.

This allows for example, to reference older sessions, such as

%save current_session ~0/
%save previous_session ~1/

Look at the videos on the presentation page to get a quick overview of the features.

How can I save the code written in an IPython session?

%save my_useful_session 10-20 23

to save input lines 10 to 20 and 23 to my_useful_session.py

How to save a Python 2 idle/shell/command prompt interactive session on Windows?

Windows Command Prompt supports stdout redirection and probably stderr redirection. I just tested python -c "print(test)" > F:/dev/tem/out.txt and the print out went to out.txt. Replace -c "print('test') with script.py and the same should happen. Piping stdout of one program to stdin of another might work. You might be able to chain programs with a .bat file. PowerShell likely is more powerful and flexible, but I have never used it.

I am not completely clear on what you are asking, but I hope the following answers your questions.

Python runs in 2 modes: batch and interactive. Interactive mode is intended for ephermeral interaction with a human. Batch mode is for unattended computation, with occasional screen messages, but with most results sent to a file other than the screen. Both modes are combined when you run python -i xyz.py. The file is first run in batch mode, and then Python shifts to interactive mode.

It sounds like you should be using batch mode rather than either Python's or IDLE's interactive mode. If your code runs from IDLE, you should be able to run it directly with the same python.exe that you used to run IDLE. There are exceptions, of course, if one makes one's code dependent on running within IDLE, but this is unlikely to be an accident or to be needed for unattended running.

The IDLE Shell simulates interactive Python. When a file is run from an editor window, IDLE simulates python -i file-being-edited.py, with screen output going to Shell. In either case, an interactive user can save the contents of Shell with the File => Save As menu command. So there is such a command. There are also close window and exit commands and shortcuts.

In IDLE's intended use, as an interactive python learning and program development environment, there is no need from for a program to issue these commands. To save data in a file, a program can open a file and write data directly.

How to save all the variables in the current python session?

If you use shelve, you do not have to remember the order in which the objects are pickled, since shelve gives you a dictionary-like object:

To shelve your work:

import shelve

T='Hiya'
val=[1,2,3]

filename='/tmp/shelve.out'
my_shelf = shelve.open(filename,'n') # 'n' for new

for key in dir():
    try:
        my_shelf[key] = globals()[key]
    except TypeError:
        #
        # __builtins__, my_shelf, and imported modules can not be shelved.
        #
        print('ERROR shelving: {0}'.format(key))
my_shelf.close()

To restore:

my_shelf = shelve.open(filename)
for key in my_shelf:
    globals()[key]=my_shelf[key]
my_shelf.close()

print(T)
# Hiya
print(val)
# [1, 2, 3]

How can I save / copy classes & functions I've written in the python interpreter?

The best environment for interactive coding sessions has to be IPython, in my opinion. It's built on and extends the basic Python interpreter with a lot of magic, including history. For example, you can issue the command %logstart to dump all subsequent input to a file, which still needs to be edited afterward before it will be a script, but gives you a lot to work with.

When installing IPython, don't forget pyreadline.

In general, however, it is best to write code in an IDE and then run it. IPython helps here as well. If you write and save the script, then use the IPython "run" command to run it, the entire global namespace of the script will be available for inspection in your IPython session. Additionally, you can use the -d argument to run to trigger the pdb debugger immediately on any unhandled exception.

If you're more of a straightlaced IDE and debugger kind of guy, then the easiest and best lightweight environment has to be PyScripter.

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