Python Command history

I was using the python command interpreter interactively to test out some snippets of python and rather than either typing it out again, copy/paste and removing the prompt markers at the beginning of the line or loosing it entirely, I wondered if there was a way to save the command history like in bash.

Turns out there is an easy way to do this and it is referenced in the python documentation (http://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/interactive.html)

Place the startup script below in a file in your home directory such as .pystartup
and export the environment variable PYTHONSTARTUP pointing to this file

import atexit
import os
import readline
import rlcompleter

historyPath = os.path.expanduser("~/.pyhistory")

def save_history(historyPath=historyPath):
    import readline
    readline.write_history_file(historyPath)

if os.path.exists(historyPath):
    readline.read_history_file(historyPath)

atexit.register(save_history)
del os, atexit, readline, rlcompleter, save_history, historyPath