[IPython-user] Problem under windows

[Ville Vainio]

On Wed, 2005-03-30 at 15:34 -0300, David Guaraglia wrote:
> Hello everybody,
> 
> My problem is the following: I have ipython installed and it works OK, even with autocompletion, but when I press '?' (the interrogation mark character) I get a loud beep on the speaker and that's all. I don't get it output to the screen, so I can never use commands in the form "whatever?" to get information about an object/class/package. Besides that everything works OK.
> 
> My setup is currently:
> Windows XP
> Python 2.4.1c2
> ctypes 0.9.6
> pywin32 203
> Gary Bishop's readline 1.12
> ipython 0.6.12
> 
> Anyone has the same problem? Maybe my keyboard is the problem? (I use a brazilian abtn2 distribution).
>   
> David Guaraglia
> dguaraglia at gmx.de
> 2005-03-30

Vivian De Smedt <vivian at vdesmedt.com> posted about a possible fix a
while ago. Copy-pasting:

----------------

ear IPython user.

This post is a bit specific in the sense that I'am a win32 user with a 
belgian keyboard.

The goal of this post is to see if the problem I face using IPython and 
the readline library are shared with other IPython users and if the 
workarround I developped should be proposed as a fix to the Gary 
Bishop's readline implementation or not.

I split the post in three items

1. For the user of a belgian keyboard:

The user of a belgian keyboard at least the one that must use the Gary 
Bishop implementation of the readline library have a keyboard binding 
problem.

The key '{', '[', '^',  '~', '´', '`', ... among others are not
working. 
Which is a bit painfull to write python commands.
However for some of these keys ('{', '[') there is a solution: adapt
the 
.inputrc file but for some others ( '~', '´', '`') I was unable to find 
any solution that preserve the integrity of the Gary Bishop's readline 
library.

I'am interested to know is someone share this problem, if he found 
solution or if he is interested to the one I developped.

2. Classic Python prompt usage:

This part of the post is somewhat strange. It is about installing the 
Gary Bishop's readline library and still using the IPython package.

In doing so:
- The previous solution to the belgian keyboard problem isn't working 
anymore (the readline library don't load the .inputrc file)
- The exit command ask for Ctrl-Z input that fail to react as expected.

To solve the first subitem I slightly change the Gary Bishop's readline 
library such that it load the .inputrc file
To solve the second I slightly change the Gary Bishop's readline
library 
such that both Ctrl+D and Ctrl+Z on empty lines translate into quiting 
the prompt.

Again I wonder if someone share the same feeling about these Python 
command prompt with Gary Bishop's readline library and what do they 
think about my proposition of change.

3. Classic Windows binding.

By default the Gary Bishop's readline library come with vi/emacs like 
binding which is nice. But windows user could want to be able to 
customize these binding through the .inputrc file or maybe to switch 
from one type of binding to an another (I forseen three kind, emacs,
vi, 
windows).

The Gary's implementation come only with the emacs binding. I made 
change in the library to have three binding and key combinasion to be 
able to switch from one to the other.

Futhermore I add the possibilities to be able to bind through the 
.inputrc  a key (e.g.: the Esc key) to an operation that kill the whole 
line by opposition that kill the first part of the line (till the
caret, 
Ctrl+K) or the last part (from the caret, Ctrl+U) such that window user 
could have a binding close to they experience of the windows command
prompt.

Again and again I wonder if such change in meaningfull for some of you.

Thank for reading this long post and for every reponse that you can
make.
Kindest regards,
Vivian.