[IPython-user] Completion in non-interactive windows (NOT a Windows question!)

[John J Lee]

On Sat, 8 Jan 2005, Fernando Perez wrote:
[...]
> 1.  What ipython does: your objects live in memory, and you can rely on
> python's introspection capabilities to extract attribute names.  A hook to GNU
> readline binds this to the tab key, but you could get the same results in a
> gui where you have full control of keyboard events.

This is also the python-mode project's approach, I see.


> 3.  Writing a full-blown textual analyzer which can understand the structure
> of python code as it is being written.  This would give you the full
> capabilities of real completion in an editor, but it's also the most difficult
> one to write.

Trustudio and Pythonwin take this approach.


> For an editor, ultimately #3 is what you really want, since you may be writing
> code which can really not be loaded in your current environment (imagine
> coding on your laptop something which can't realistically run outside of some
> big database server).

Sure.


> I have to say that so far though, I've been able to function quite well with
> just # 1 and 2.  IPython gives me accurate completion of live objects, and
[...]

I've come to the same conclusion.  Would of course also be pleased to see
an unreasonable man/woman do this "properly" (ie. approach #3 above) in
emacs.


John