After we write a code in Matlab we can use ctrl+A+ctrl+I and ctrl+A+ctrl+J to format our code (comments, loops alignment etc). Is there something similar or any helpful keyboard shortcuts in Python?
Also, just like we can use upward arrow to copy our previous command window history in Matlab, is it possible or some keyboard shortcut to do that in Python?
Thanks!
Python is a programming language, not an integrated development environment (IDE), therefore it has no "keyboard shortcuts" or the like. Each given development environment may offer different facilities or the like. You appear to consider GNU Readline (typically used in the simple text-mode interpreter environment that many Python executables bundle) as "part of Python" -- but that's a misconception; readline is a perfectly general library for interactive input in command-line environments, and Python only one of the many programs using it. Another environment usually bundled with Python is IDLE, a GUI one, and of course the editing facilities are completely and drastically different. There are many third-party environments such as "Wing IDE" and each offers a drastically different set of editing features and facilities from all the others.
To summarize: your question makes no more sense about Python per se than it would about (say) C, or Java, or any other programming languages. Don't let (usually proprietary) programming languages that come with bundled IDEs confuse you on this subject!
If you use emacs, then
you can press tab anywhere on a line and it will properly indent that line relative to the preceding line (making the assumption that the current block is continuing).
you can mark selections of text and press C-c < and C-c > to move blocks of text left and right.
These are the two that I actually use with any regularity. I'm sure that anything that any other editor can do, emacs can do too ;)
on the whole, formatting python code is difficult for a program to do because the indentation drastically affects semantics.
consider
for i, item in enumerate(lst):
if i % 2:
sum += i * int(item)
return sum
and
for i, item in enumerate(lst):
if i % 2:
sum += i * int(item)
return sum
Do you really want your editor deciding which one you mean?
If you use the Python IDLE (comes with Python on Windows, readily available on Linux and Unix flavors), most of the formatting work is done for you. For instance, IDLE automatically indents loops and any other code block after a :. This is far better than writing Python scripts in a standard text editor like gedit, emacs, vim, or Notepad, especially since you can simply press F5 to run the script.
As for previous commands, the biggest disadvantage to the Python shell is that you cannot press the up arrow to get the last command. However, if you use the non-GUI shell (in the Windows command prompt or a Unix terminal, the command is python), you can use the shell's command recall to get the last command.