[Python-ideas] A better interactive prompt

[Mark Lawrence]

On 26/10/2016 20:24, Paul Moore wrote:
> On 26 October 2016 at 18:25, Nick Coghlan <ncoghlan at gmail.com> wrote:
>> The built-in REPL serves two quite divergent use cases, and I think
>> we're well past the point where we can't readily support both use
>> cases with a single implementation:
>>
>> - a minimalist interactive environment, that is *always* present, even
>> if parts of the interpreter (most notably the import system) aren't
>> working or have been deliberately disabled
>> - a day-to-day working environment for Python developers
>>
>> The prevalence of the latter use case then leads to it also being used
>> as a tool for introducing new developers to Python.
>
> Thinking a little further about this, I think the reason I don't use
> IPython more, is because my muscle memory types "python" (or more
> often, "py") when I want an interactive prompt. And I do that for the
> reason you mention - it's always there.
>
> So I think that it would be really useful to be able to plug in a new
> REPL, when it's available. This has a number of benefits:
>
> 1. We don't need to worry about incorporating any complex REPL code
> into Python. The default REPL can remain simple.
> 2. Users can choose their preferred REPL, core Python doesn't have to
> get involved in UI decisions.
>
> The downside, of course, is that the default behaviour is inconsistent
> - new users could attend a course where IPython was preinstalled, but
> then struggle when back at the office because no-one told them how to
> set it up.
>

I'll just say that on Windows 10 I have ConEmu installed, and I edit the 
startup file to point me to umpteen different places where I want to 
work. Ipython is one of them.  Of course it is extremely difficult to 
install.  My understanding is that on Windows folk find it difficult to 
type:-

pip install ipython

What have I missed?

-- 

Mark Lawrence