Call the Python interactive interpreter from within a Python script

Question

Is there any way to start up the Python interpreter from within a script , in a manner similar to just using python -i so that the objects/namespace, etc. from the current script are retained? The reason for not using python -i is that the script initializes a connection to an XML-RPC server, and I need to be able to stop the entire program if there's an error. I can't loop until there's valid input because apparently, I can't do something like this:

#!/usr/bin/python -i
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

import xmlrpclib

# Create an object to represent our server.
server_url = str(raw_input("Server: "))
while not server = xmlrpclib.Server(server_url):
    print 'Unable to connect to server. Please try again'
else:
    print 'Xmlrpclib.Server object `__main__.server\' of URL `', server_url, "' created"
    break
# Python interpreter starts...

because:

% chmod u+x ./rpcclient.py
% ./rpclient.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "./rpcclient.py", line 8
    while not server = xmlrpclib.Server(server_url):
                     ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>>> 

Unfortunately, python -i starts the interpreter just after it prints out the traceback, so I somehow have to call the interactive interpreter - replacing the execution of the script so it retains the server connection - from within the script

Answer 1

Have you tried reading the error message? :)

= is assignment, you want the comparison operator == instead.

Answer 2

Well, I finally got it to work.

Basically, I put the entire try/except/else clause in a while True: loop, with the else suite being a break statement and the end of the except suite being a continue statement. The result is that it now continually loops if the user puts in an address that doesn't have a fully compliant XML-RPC2 server listening. Here's how it turned out:

#!/usr/bin/python -i
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

import xmlrpclib, socket
from sys import exit

# Create an object to represent our server.

#server = xmlrpclib.Server(server_url) and print 'Xmlrpclib.Server object `__main__.server\' of URL `', server_url, "' created"
server_url = str(raw_input("Server: "))
server = xmlrpclib.ServerProxy(server_url)
while True:
    try:
        server.system.listMethods()
    except xmlrpclib.ProtocolError, socket.error:
        print 'Unable to connect to server. Please try again'
        server_url = str(raw_input("Server: "))
        server = xmlrpclib.ServerProxy(server_url)
        continue
    except EOFError:
        exit(1)
    else:
        break

print 'Xmlrpclib.Server object `__main__.server\' of URL `', server_url, "' created"

# Python interpreter starts...

Thank you very much!

...and I have to wait another day to accept this...