###IPython One of Python’s most useful features is its interactive interpreter. It allows for very fast testing of ideas without the overhead of creating test files as is typical in most programming languages. However, the interpreter supplied with the standard Python distribution is somewhat limited for extended interactive use.
IPython is an alternative to the standard Python interpreter which goal is to create a comprehensive environment for interactive and exploratory computing. To support this goal, IPython provides an enhanced interactive Python shell. You can read detailed documentation here, but these are some of the main features:
1 - Easily check methods and attributes of an object with the syntax <object>. + TAB:
2 - Read the docstring of any method with <object>.<method>? (Hey! Docstrings are useful!):
3.- Look at a method's/function's code without opening any file with <object>.<method>??:
4.- Directly write functions on the interpreter:
5.- Magic functions! To help you copy code into the interpreter and a lot more stuff:
And more... just read the docs :-)