Making Python Interactive Mode of Emacs Highlight and Indent

Question

I am using Emacs 23 with python-mode 5.1.0 to edit my python programs. Sometimes when writing a program I want to run a small throwaway python script and so I run the interactive move (C-c !). This is fine, but it neither indents nor highlights the code, and if I try running python mode while in it, it no longer evaluates. So, how do I set it to indent and highlight?

Answer 1

Adding these to my .emacs seems to have done it.

The bit where it checks the buffer name in the advice would probably be better as a test on a buffer-local variable set by set-pycomint-keywords, but you get the idea.

(defun set-pycomint-keywords ()
  (setq font-lock-keywords      python-font-lock-keywords))

(add-hook 'py-shell-hook 'set-pycomint-keywords)



 (defadvice comint-send-input (around block-comint-formatting activate)
  (if (string= (buffer-name) "*Python*")
      (letf (((symbol-function 'add-text-properties) (lambda (x y z) nil)))
        ad-do-it))
  ad-do-it)

Answer 2

I don't have time to try it now, but i found you can replace python shell when you press C-c with this that should be more powerful:

http://ipython.scipy.org/moin/

When i'll have time I'll give it a try