How to get a python script to invoke "python -i" when called normally?

Question

I have a python script that I like to run with python -i script.py, which runs the script and then enters interactive mode so that I can play around with the results.

Is it possible to have the script itself invoke this option, such that I can just run python script.py and the script will enter interactive mode after running?

Of course, I can simply add the -i, or if that is too much effort, I can write a shell script to invoke this.

Answer 1

From within script.py, set the PYTHONINSPECT environment variable to any nonempty string. Python will recheck this environment variable at the end of the program and enter interactive mode.

import os
# This can be placed at top or bottom of the script, unlike code.interact
os.environ['PYTHONINSPECT'] = 'TRUE'  

Answer 2

In addition to all the above answers, you can run the script as simply ./script.py by making the file executable and setting the shebang line, e.g.

#!/usr/bin/python -i
this = "A really boring program"

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If you want to use this with the env command in order to get the system default python, then you can try using a shebang like @donkopotamus suggested in the comments

#!/usr/bin/env PYTHONINSPECT=1 python

The success of this may depend on the version of env installed on your platform however.

Answer 3

You could use an instance of code.InteractiveConsole to get this to work:

from code import InteractiveConsole
i = 20
d = 30
InteractiveConsole(locals=locals()).interact()

running this with python script.py will launch an interactive interpreter as the final statement and make the local names defined visible via locals=locals().

>>> i
20

Similarly, a convenience function named code.interact can be used:

from code import interact
i = 20
d = 30
interact(local=locals())

This creates the instance for you, with the only caveat that locals is named local instead.

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In addition to this, as @Blender stated in the comments, you could also embed the IPython REPL by using:

import IPython
IPython.embed()

which has the added benefit of not requiring the namespace that has been populated in your script to be passed with locals.