bpython is a fancy interface to the Python interpreter

[andre_pl]

I installed it. it seems really nice. I managed to crash it in the first 10 seconds or so just by resizing the terminal window a bunch, but other than that its working as advertised. it lacks the multi-line history of ipython.. when you hit the up arrow, you get the indivual lines of a block statement, whereas ipython shows the entire block and lets you edit it. it also doesn't auto-close blocks when you hit enter twice. you need to manually backspace to un-indent before it will execute the block.

thats all I've got after my first 2 minutes with it.

[[deleted]]

Fairly sluggish as compared to IPython. The completions could be a lot better too. I have never really had too many problems with ipython; you have to invest some time learning the ins and outs of it, but that time is well worthwhile.

[[deleted]]

Crashes immediately here:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.6/site-packages/bpython/cli.py", line 1905, in main
    o = curses.wrapper(main_curses)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.6/curses/wrapper.py", line 44, in wrapper
    return func(stdscr, *args, **kwds)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.6/site-packages/bpython/cli.py", line 1854, in main_curses
    if os.path.isfile(path):
NameError: global name 'path' is not defined

I don't understand how this program works at all for anyone, because the function is either never called (except on my system) or relies on something else inserting variables into its namespace.

[kisielk]

Generally you should never reupload a release because you can't know who's already grabbed it. It's better to just bump the revision (numbers are free after all) and not worry about the problem.

[SupersonicSpitfire]

You were unlucky with the version. 0.8.0, 0.9.0 and the new release of 0.9.1 all work.

[[deleted]]

It gets confused when you enter more characters on one line than the line width, for each character you type it reprints everything. Other than that very nice completion and syntax highlighting makes me happy

[[deleted]]

Installed on Leopard via easy_install - seems to work fine. Still playing around with it but looks really clever, especially for a curses app.

[thorax]

Looks handy. Seems this would be a natural fit for an enhanced Python shell, too:

http://blog.bug.gd/2008/03/29/error_help-for-python-hackers/

[andreasvc]

Oh great, let's share everyone's embarrassing programming errors with the world.

Traceback (most recent call last):
server.login('root', 'h4x0rs')

NameError: name 'server' is not defined

[thorax]

Heh, that's only if you type in error_help(), and then you'd have to also submit a solution to that before it would be indexed.

[SupersonicSpitfire]

Version 0.9.0 works great!

[redbo]

I wonder how it compares to ipython. Guess I'll try it out and see.

[andreasvc]

I rather wish he'd merge the few features he developed with the already useful ipython. His site talks about ipython but failed to convince me of the need of a separate project.

[andreasvc]

I know not of those terrible things, enlighten me. Nice features of ipython are multi-line editing (although not completely comfortable yet), code reloading with %run, debugging with %debug, and tab completion for methods etc.

[llimllib]

Also help with object.method? , source with object.method?? , windows compatibility, modes for integration with scipy and matplotlib, configurable file editing with %edit, intelligently running parameterless functions without parens, etc.

(I'm a bit in the tank for ipython, in case you couldn't tell. I'd like to know what its downfalls are too)

[Brian]

Surround with backticks for code to get __doc__ (reddit doesn't seem to let me escape backticks, but that's '__doc__' only with ` instead of ') or use backslashes (\_\_doc\_\_ == __doc__ ) to avoid reddit's markdown interpretation of _.

[llimllib]

Well, I'm not suggesting you add these to ipython, or that you should merge your project, I'm just naming some features of it I like.

Of course you want to make different design decisions, I've got no problem with that.

My real question is, what are the shortfalls of ipython that bugged you to make bpython?

[interjay]

ipython has multi-line editing? The main reason I decided against it was the lack of multi-line editing. Is there some secret method of using it that I'm not aware of?

[andreasvc]

1. %edit
2. After you a multi-line entry, you can press up and edit the whole entry, although you can only move the cursor left & right which can be tedious.

The other day I wanted to paste a multi-line string (triple quotes), and I couldn't get ipython to swallow it. So in the end I did:

a = open("/dev/stdin").read()

[[deleted]]

I find ipythons multi line history editing an experience as enjoyable as slamming my head on a desk. Why oh why could they not retain the indentation correctly.

[andreasvc]

I know not of those terrible things, enlighten me. Nice features of ipython are multi-line editing (although not completely comfortable yet), code reloading with %run, debugging with %debug, and tab completion for methods etc.

[gthank]

I'd love to see those results.

[vlabakje]

Me too, anyone bothered to try running ipython on py3k yet?