Interactive Python

[Darren Dale]

Hello,

I use Python for interactive data analysis, coming recently from Matlab.
One thing I am missing is a variable browser. The problem with vars() is
that it lists everything loaded in the session. Try using the excellent
matplotlib package and you'll see my dilemma.

Could another namespace could be added on the python search path, one
that only held variables created by the user (as opposed to imported by
modules)? Or does something like this already exist? This might make it
easier to save interactive sessions, by pickling the user-namespace.

Darren

 

[Fernando Perez]

Hello,

I use Python for interactive data analysis, coming recently from Matlab.
One thing I am missing is a variable browser. The problem with vars() is
that it lists everything loaded in the session. Try using the excellent
matplotlib package and you'll see my dilemma.

Could another namespace could be added on the python search path, one
that only held variables created by the user (as opposed to imported by
modules)? Or does something like this already exist? This might make it
easier to save interactive sessions, by pickling the user-namespace.

Try ipython (http://ipython.scipy.org), it has a 'who'/'whos' set of commands to
help with this. If you are interested, mail me directly at fperez AT colorado
DOT edu, and I can send you an ipython profile specifically for use with
matplotlib, using the TkAgg backend.

This weekend I'll try to find some time to work on a multithreaded version so
one can use matplotlib with the wx/gtk backends.

ipython was written _specifically_ to make the interactive, code testing and
data analysis type of work which is the bread and butter of scientific
computing, as efficient as possible. So let me now (best if done on the
mailing lists) of any potential improvments.

Cheers,

f

ps. word of warning if you use Windows: there's apparently an incompatibility
between ctypes 0.9 and UNC readline. If you use Windows and want to try out
ipython, try to use ctypes 0.6 or so.