
``readline`` --- GNU readline interface
***************************************

Platform: Unix

*Platforms: *Unix

The ``readline`` module defines a number of functions to facilitate
completion and reading/writing of history files from the Python
interpreter. This module can be used directly or via the
``rlcompleter`` module.  Settings made using  this module affect the
behaviour of both the interpreter's interactive prompt  and the
prompts offered by the built-in ``input()`` function.

The ``readline`` module defines the following functions:

readline.parse_and_bind(string)

   Parse and execute single line of a readline init file.

readline.get_line_buffer()

   Return the current contents of the line buffer.

readline.insert_text(string)

   Insert text into the command line.

readline.read_init_file([filename])

   Parse a readline initialization file. The default filename is the
   last filename used.

readline.read_history_file([filename])

   Load a readline history file. The default filename is
   ``~/.history``.

readline.write_history_file([filename])

   Save a readline history file. The default filename is
   ``~/.history``.

readline.clear_history()

   Clear the current history.  (Note: this function is not available
   if the installed version of GNU readline doesn't support it.)

readline.get_history_length()

   Return the desired length of the history file.  Negative values
   imply unlimited history file size.

readline.set_history_length(length)

   Set the number of lines to save in the history file.
   ``write_history_file()`` uses this value to truncate the history
   file when saving.  Negative values imply unlimited history file
   size.

readline.get_current_history_length()

   Return the number of lines currently in the history.  (This is
   different from ``get_history_length()``, which returns the maximum
   number of lines that will be written to a history file.)

readline.get_history_item(index)

   Return the current contents of history item at *index*.

readline.remove_history_item(pos)

   Remove history item specified by its position from the history.

readline.replace_history_item(pos, line)

   Replace history item specified by its position with the given line.

readline.redisplay()

   Change what's displayed on the screen to reflect the current
   contents of the line buffer.

readline.set_startup_hook([function])

   Set or remove the startup_hook function.  If *function* is
   specified, it will be used as the new startup_hook function; if
   omitted or ``None``, any hook function already installed is
   removed.  The startup_hook function is called with no arguments
   just before readline prints the first prompt.

readline.set_pre_input_hook([function])

   Set or remove the pre_input_hook function.  If *function* is
   specified, it will be used as the new pre_input_hook function; if
   omitted or ``None``, any hook function already installed is
   removed.  The pre_input_hook function is called with no arguments
   after the first prompt has been printed and just before readline
   starts reading input characters.

readline.set_completer([function])

   Set or remove the completer function.  If *function* is specified,
   it will be used as the new completer function; if omitted or
   ``None``, any completer function already installed is removed.  The
   completer function is called as ``function(text, state)``, for
   *state* in ``0``, ``1``, ``2``, ..., until it returns a non-string
   value.  It should return the next possible completion starting with
   *text*.

readline.get_completer()

   Get the completer function, or ``None`` if no completer function
   has been set.

readline.get_completion_type()

   Get the type of completion being attempted.

readline.get_begidx()

   Get the beginning index of the readline tab-completion scope.

readline.get_endidx()

   Get the ending index of the readline tab-completion scope.

readline.set_completer_delims(string)

   Set the readline word delimiters for tab-completion.

readline.get_completer_delims()

   Get the readline word delimiters for tab-completion.

readline.set_completion_display_matches_hook([function])

   Set or remove the completion display function.  If *function* is
   specified, it will be used as the new completion display function;
   if omitted or ``None``, any completion display function already
   installed is removed.  The completion display function is called as
   ``function(substitution, [matches], longest_match_length)`` once
   each time matches need to be displayed.

readline.add_history(line)

   Append a line to the history buffer, as if it was the last line
   typed.

See also:

   Module ``rlcompleter``
      Completion of Python identifiers at the interactive prompt.


Example
=======

The following example demonstrates how to use the ``readline``
module's history reading and writing functions to automatically load
and save a history file named ``.pyhist`` from the user's home
directory.  The code below would normally be executed automatically
during interactive sessions from the user's **PYTHONSTARTUP** file.

   import os
   histfile = os.path.join(os.environ["HOME"], ".pyhist")
   try:
       readline.read_history_file(histfile)
   except IOError:
       pass
   import atexit
   atexit.register(readline.write_history_file, histfile)
   del os, histfile

The following example extends the ``code.InteractiveConsole`` class to
support history save/restore.

   import code
   import readline
   import atexit
   import os

   class HistoryConsole(code.InteractiveConsole):
       def __init__(self, locals=None, filename="<console>",
                    histfile=os.path.expanduser("~/.console-history")):
           code.InteractiveConsole.__init__(self)
           self.init_history(histfile)

       def init_history(self, histfile):
           readline.parse_and_bind("tab: complete")
           if hasattr(readline, "read_history_file"):
               try:
                   readline.read_history_file(histfile)
               except IOError:
                   pass
               atexit.register(self.save_history, histfile)

       def save_history(self, histfile):
           readline.write_history_file(histfile)
