``rlcompleter`` --- Completion function for GNU readline ******************************************************** The ``rlcompleter`` module defines a completion function suitable for the ``readline`` module by completing valid Python identifiers and keywords. When this module is imported on a Unix platform with the ``readline`` module available, an instance of the ``Completer`` class is automatically created and its ``complete()`` method is set as the ``readline`` completer. Example: >>> import rlcompleter >>> import readline >>> readline.parse_and_bind("tab: complete") >>> readline. readline.__doc__ readline.get_line_buffer( readline.read_init_file( readline.__file__ readline.insert_text( readline.set_completer( readline.__name__ readline.parse_and_bind( >>> readline. The ``rlcompleter`` module is designed for use with Python's interactive mode. A user can add the following lines to his or her initialization file (identified by the **PYTHONSTARTUP** environment variable) to get automatic ``Tab`` completion: try: import readline except ImportError: print "Module readline not available." else: import rlcompleter readline.parse_and_bind("tab: complete") On platforms without ``readline``, the ``Completer`` class defined by this module can still be used for custom purposes. Completer Objects ================= Completer objects have the following method: Completer.complete(text, state) Return the *state*th completion for *text*. If called for *text* that doesn't include a period character (``'.'``), it will complete from names currently defined in ``__main__``, ``__builtin__`` and keywords (as defined by the ``keyword`` module). If called for a dotted name, it will try to evaluate anything without obvious side-effects (functions will not be evaluated, but it can generate calls to ``__getattr__()``) up to the last part, and find matches for the rest via the ``dir()`` function. Any exception raised during the evaluation of the expression is caught, silenced and ``None`` is returned.