[IPython-user] help issues

[Arnd Baecker]

On Tue, 29 Jun 2004, Fernando Perez wrote:

> Arnd Baecker wrote:
> > So after installing a fresh python 2.3.4, Numeric, ..., CVS scipy,
> > and CVS IPython I was prepared to go through my list of help problems.
> > Good news: I think there are no issues concerning help left!

Hmm, there is one thing which I forgot to mention -
the double-TAB problem:


In [1]: import scipy

In [2]: scipy.in
scipy.index_exp        scipy.info             scipy.inspect
scipy.index_tricks     scipy.info_scipy_base  scipy.integrate
scipy.indices          scipy.innerproduct     scipy.interpolate
scipy.inf              scipy.insert           scipy.invert

In [2]: scipy.int
scipy.integrate    scipy.interpolate

In [2]: scipy.integrate.o
scipy.integrate.ode      scipy.integrate.odeint   scipy.integrate.odepack

In [2]: scipy.integrate.o

--> Here one has to press TAB twice to get the list.

I don't know if there is a work-around.
Somehow I think it is a minor inconvenience, but it might
be confusing to new-comers.


> Yes, autoindent is now on by default (it has always existed).  But it means
> that before you paste code, you _must_ turn it off or you'll end up with
> misindented text.  @autoindent will toggle it back and forth for you.

If there was a way to bind (e.g.) CTRL-P (or whatever character)
to toggling this, that would be great.
(So before pasting CTRL-P and after that back to the auto-indent mode.
But, as far as I know, there is no way to do that
binding via readline (please correct me - readline gurus!).

> I decided to make it on by default, because I suspected (correctly it seems,
> since even a longtime user like you didn't know about it) that people didn't

Somehow I thought I had it on my wish-list, suggesting that
it is not implemented (saying something like this normally
invokes your time-machine and maybe that's what just happened here,
who will be able to tell?;-)

> know about the facility.  I figured that once they got bitten by the pasting
> problem once they'd learn about it, and from then onwards they could toggle it
> as needed.   If you want it off permanently, just set it off in your ipythonrc
> file.
>
> But I'm willing to reconsider the wisdom of having it on by default if you
> think this will lead to too much user confusion.

I think it is a good default (apart from pasting thing ;-)

Best,

Arnd