How can I start the python shell and automatically initialize it with some commands?

Question

I find that when I start the python shell I have a bunch of commands I always type to get into the state I want. It is tiresome to keep re-typing these commands, so I have bundled them into a script. Now I just type:

execfile('script.py')

as soon as I enter the shell, and it goes through all the steps to get me to the state I need to be in.

Now I'd like to take it one step further. How can I get the python shell to automatically run script.py every time I start the shell, so I don't have to keep re-typing even that one line?

Might be using a sledghammer here, but make a symlink to your python executable that runs that command first then the needed file from the cli arg after python? You could name it something different, also. — Mark Grey
– Mark Grey, Commented Jan 9, 2013 at 18:47
If you've run into this problem you would likely be interested in ipython ipython.org. — Adam Cadien
– Adam Cadien, Commented Jan 9, 2013 at 18:47

Fredrick Brennan · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-09 18:49:40Z

14

Here's a way without having to mess with environment variables:

For example, if I had a script with the following in it called script.py:

#!/usr/bin/env python
print("example")

I could tell python to run this before bringing me to the interpreter with the -i flag.

$ python -i script.py
example
>>>

answered Jan 9, 2013 at 18:49

Fredrick Brennan

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3 Comments

mgilson Over a year ago

I see what you're going for here, but your formatting is pretty strange. You might want to work on that to make it a bit more clear what you're actually doing... In other words, highlight that the important part is python -i script.py.

Fredrick Brennan Over a year ago

@mgilson Does this look better?

mgilson Over a year ago

that's about a million times better. I like it now :). +1

mgilson · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-09 18:47:30Z

9

I think you're looking for the PYTHONSTARTUP environment variable

answered Jan 9, 2013 at 18:47

mgilson

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Comments

cleg · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-09 18:49:17Z

2

I'd suggest you to use IPython, if possible. It gives tones of great features, and autoexec is only one of them. But of course, correct answer is mentioned by @mgilston

answered Jan 9, 2013 at 18:49

cleg

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Katriel · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-09 18:54:01Z

2

Create a file called usercustomize.py, and place it in your USER_SITE directory (which you can find as import site; site._script(). This file will be executed every time you start an interpreter.

There's a similar file called sitecustomize.py which is executed anytime anyone starts Python.

answered Jan 9, 2013 at 18:54

Katriel

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Ruslan · Accepted Answer · 2019-02-18 18:36:55Z

0

This is a Windows solution, but I'm sure a Unix equivalent could be done. I created a file \MyPythonCode\autoexec.py (the last line of which is a print("Autoexec Complete")) and a BAT file MyPython.Bat which has:

cd \myPythonCode
python -i autoexec.py

I just use the command: mypython

to start the Python environment every time, now.

edited Feb 18, 2019 at 18:36

Ruslan

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answered Feb 18, 2019 at 16:34

J Morrill

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