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Library</a> »</li>176 <li class="nav-item nav-item-2"><a href="text.html" accesskey="U">Text Processing Services</a> »</li>177 <li class="nav-item nav-item-this"><a href=""><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">rlcompleter</span></code> — Completion function for GNU readline</a></li>178 <li class="right">179 180 181 <div class="inline-search" role="search">182 <form class="inline-search" action="../search.html" method="get">183 <input placeholder="Quick search" aria-label="Quick search" type="search" name="q" id="search-box">184 <input type="submit" value="Go">185 </form>186 </div>187 |188 </li>189 <li class="right">190<label class="theme-selector-label">191 Theme192 <select class="theme-selector" oninput="activateTheme(this.value)">193 <option value="auto" selected>Auto</option>194 <option value="light">Light</option>195 <option value="dark">Dark</option>196 </select>197</label> |</li>198 199 </ul>200 </div> 201 202 <div class="document">203 <div class="documentwrapper">204 <div class="bodywrapper">205 <div class="body" role="main">206 207 <section id="module-rlcompleter">208<span id="rlcompleter-completion-function-for-gnu-readline"></span><h1><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">rlcompleter</span></code> — Completion function for GNU readline<a class="headerlink" href="#module-rlcompleter" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h1>209<p><strong>Source code:</strong> <a class="extlink-source reference external" href="https://github.com/python/cpython/tree/main/Lib/rlcompleter.py">Lib/rlcompleter.py</a></p>210<hr class="docutils" />211<p>The <code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">rlcompleter</span></code> module defines a completion function suitable to be212passed to <a class="reference internal" href="readline.html#readline.set_completer" title="readline.set_completer"><code class="xref py py-func docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">set_completer()</span></code></a> in the <a class="reference internal" href="readline.html#module-readline" title="readline: GNU readline support for Python."><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">readline</span></code></a> module.</p>213<p>When this module is imported on a Unix platform with the <a class="reference internal" href="readline.html#module-readline" title="readline: GNU readline support for Python."><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">readline</span></code></a> module214available, an instance of the <a class="reference internal" href="#rlcompleter.Completer" title="rlcompleter.Completer"><code class="xref py py-class docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Completer</span></code></a> class is automatically created215and its <a class="reference internal" href="#rlcompleter.Completer.complete" title="rlcompleter.Completer.complete"><code class="xref py py-meth docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">complete()</span></code></a> method is set as the216<a class="reference internal" href="readline.html#readline-completion"><span class="std std-ref">readline completer</span></a>. The method provides217completion of valid Python <a class="reference internal" href="../reference/lexical_analysis.html#identifiers"><span class="std std-ref">identifiers and keywords</span></a>.</p>218<p>Example:</p>219<div class="highlight-python3 notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="gp">>>> </span><span class="kn">import</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="nn">rlcompleter</span>220<span class="gp">>>> </span><span class="kn">import</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="nn">readline</span>221<span class="gp">>>> </span><span class="n">readline</span><span class="o">.</span><span class="n">parse_and_bind</span><span class="p">(</span><span class="s2">"tab: complete"</span><span class="p">)</span>222<span class="gp">>>> </span><span class="n">readline</span><span class="o">.</span> <span class="o"><</span><span class="n">TAB</span> <span class="n">PRESSED</span><span class="o">></span>223<span class="go">readline.__doc__ readline.get_line_buffer( readline.read_init_file(</span>224<span class="go">readline.__file__ readline.insert_text( readline.set_completer(</span>225<span class="go">readline.__name__ readline.parse_and_bind(</span>226<span class="gp">>>> </span><span class="n">readline</span><span class="o">.</span>227</pre></div>228</div>229<p>The <code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">rlcompleter</span></code> module is designed for use with Python’s230<a class="reference internal" href="../tutorial/interpreter.html#tut-interactive"><span class="std std-ref">interactive mode</span></a>. Unless Python is run with the231<a class="reference internal" href="../using/cmdline.html#cmdoption-S"><code class="xref std std-option docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">-S</span></code></a> option, the module is automatically imported and configured232(see <a class="reference internal" href="site.html#rlcompleter-config"><span class="std std-ref">Readline configuration</span></a>).</p>233<p>On platforms without <a class="reference internal" href="readline.html#module-readline" title="readline: GNU readline support for Python."><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">readline</span></code></a>, the <a class="reference internal" href="#rlcompleter.Completer" title="rlcompleter.Completer"><code class="xref py py-class docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">Completer</span></code></a> class defined by234this module can still be used for custom purposes.</p>235<dl class="py class" id="completer-objects">236<dt class="sig sig-object py" id="rlcompleter.Completer">237<em class="property"><span class="k"><span class="pre">class</span></span><span class="w"> </span></em><span class="sig-prename descclassname"><span class="pre">rlcompleter.</span></span><span class="sig-name descname"><span class="pre">Completer</span></span><a class="headerlink" href="#rlcompleter.Completer" title="Link to this definition">¶</a></dt>238<dd><p>Completer objects have the following method:</p>239<dl class="py method">240<dt class="sig sig-object py" id="rlcompleter.Completer.complete">241<span class="sig-name descname"><span class="pre">complete</span></span><span class="sig-paren">(</span><em class="sig-param"><span class="n"><span class="pre">text</span></span></em>, <em class="sig-param"><span class="n"><span class="pre">state</span></span></em><span class="sig-paren">)</span><a class="headerlink" href="#rlcompleter.Completer.complete" title="Link to this definition">¶</a></dt>242<dd><p>Return the next possible completion for <em>text</em>.</p>243<p>When called by the <a class="reference internal" href="readline.html#module-readline" title="readline: GNU readline support for Python."><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">readline</span></code></a> module, this method is called244successively with <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">state</span> <span class="pre">==</span> <span class="pre">0,</span> <span class="pre">1,</span> <span class="pre">2,</span> <span class="pre">...</span></code> until the method returns245<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">None</span></code>.</p>246<p>If called for <em>text</em> that doesn’t include a period character (<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">'.'</span></code>), it will247complete from names currently defined in <a class="reference internal" href="__main__.html#module-__main__" title="__main__: The environment where top-level code is run. Covers command-line interfaces, import-time behavior, and ``__name__ == '__main__'``."><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">__main__</span></code></a>, <a class="reference internal" href="builtins.html#module-builtins" title="builtins: The module that provides the built-in namespace."><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">builtins</span></code></a> and248keywords (as defined by the <a class="reference internal" href="keyword.html#module-keyword" title="keyword: Test whether a string is a keyword in Python."><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">keyword</span></code></a> module).</p>249<p>If called for a dotted name, it will try to evaluate anything without obvious250side-effects (functions will not be evaluated, but it can generate calls to251<a class="reference internal" href="../reference/datamodel.html#object.__getattr__" title="object.__getattr__"><code class="xref py py-meth docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">__getattr__()</span></code></a>) up to the last part, and find matches for the252rest via the <a class="reference internal" href="functions.html#dir" title="dir"><code class="xref py py-func docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">dir()</span></code></a> function. Any exception raised during the253evaluation of the expression is caught, silenced and <a class="reference internal" href="constants.html#None" title="None"><code class="xref py py-const docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">None</span></code></a> is254returned.</p>255</dd></dl>256 257</dd></dl>258 259</section>260 261 262 <div class="clearer"></div>263 </div>264 </div>265 </div>266 <div class="sphinxsidebar" role="navigation" aria-label="Main">267 <div class="sphinxsidebarwrapper">268 <div>269 <h4>Previous topic</h4>270 <p class="topless"><a href="readline.html"271 title="previous chapter"><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">readline</span></code> — GNU readline interface</a></p>272 </div>273 <div>274 <h4>Next topic</h4>275 <p class="topless"><a href="binary.html"276 title="next chapter">Binary Data Services</a></p>277 </div>278 <script>279 document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {280 const title = document.querySelector('meta[property="og:title"]').content;281 const elements = document.querySelectorAll('.improvepage');282 const pageurl = window.location.href.split('?')[0];283 elements.forEach(element => {284 const url = new URL(element.href.split('?')[0].replace("-nojs", ""));285 url.searchParams.set('pagetitle', title);286 url.searchParams.set('pageurl', pageurl);287 url.searchParams.set('pagesource', "library/rlcompleter.rst");288 element.href = url.toString();289 });290 });291 </script>292 <div role="note" aria-label="source link">293 <h3>This page</h3>294 <ul class="this-page-menu">295 <li><a href="../bugs.html">Report a bug</a></li>296 <li><a class="improvepage" href="../improve-page-nojs.html">Improve this page</a></li>297 <li>298 <a href="https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/main/Doc/library/rlcompleter.rst?plain=1"299 rel="nofollow">Show source300 </a>301 </li>302 303 </ul>304 </div>305 </div>306<div id="sidebarbutton" title="Collapse sidebar">307<span>«</span>308</div>309 310 </div>311 <div class="clearer"></div>312 </div> 313 <div class="related" role="navigation" aria-label="Related">314 <h3>Navigation</h3>315 <ul>316 <li class="right" style="margin-right: 10px">317 <a href="../genindex.html" title="General Index"318 >index</a></li>319 <li class="right" >320 <a href="../py-modindex.html" title="Python Module Index"321 >modules</a> |</li>322 <li class="right" >323 <a href="binary.html" title="Binary Data Services"324 >next</a> |</li>325 <li class="right" >326 <a href="readline.html" title="readline — GNU readline interface"327 >previous</a> |</li>328 329 <li><img src="../_static/py.svg" alt="Python logo" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-top: -1px"></li>330 <li><a href="https://www.python.org/">Python</a> »</li>331 <li class="switchers">332 <div class="language_switcher_placeholder"></div>333 <div class="version_switcher_placeholder"></div>334 </li>335 <li>336 337 </li>338 <li id="cpython-language-and-version">339 <a href="../index.html">3.15.0a6 Documentation</a> »340 </li>341 342 <li class="nav-item nav-item-1"><a href="index.html" >The Python Standard Library</a> »</li>343 <li class="nav-item nav-item-2"><a href="text.html" >Text Processing Services</a> »</li>344 <li class="nav-item nav-item-this"><a href=""><code class="xref py py-mod docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">rlcompleter</span></code> — Completion function for GNU readline</a></li>345 <li class="right">346 347 348 <div class="inline-search" role="search">349 <form class="inline-search" action="../search.html" method="get">350 <input placeholder="Quick search" aria-label="Quick search" type="search" name="q" id="search-box">351 <input type="submit" value="Go">352 </form>353 </div>354 |355 </li>356 <li class="right">357<label class="theme-selector-label">358 Theme359 <select class="theme-selector" oninput="activateTheme(this.value)">360 <option value="auto" selected>Auto</option>361 <option value="light">Light</option>362 <option value="dark">Dark</option>363 </select>364</label> |</li>365 366 </ul>367 </div> 368 <div class="footer">369 © <a href="../copyright.html">Copyright</a> 2001 Python Software Foundation.370 <br>371 This page is licensed under the Python Software Foundation License Version 2.372 <br>373 Examples, recipes, and other code in the documentation are additionally licensed under the Zero Clause BSD License.374 <br>375 376 See <a href="/license.html">History and License</a> for more information.<br>377 378 379 <br>380 381 The Python Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation.382<a href="https://www.python.org/psf/donations/">Please donate.</a>383<br>384 <br>385 Last updated on Mar 10, 2026 (08:58 UTC).386 387 <a href="/bugs.html">Found a bug</a>?388 389 <br>390 391 Created using <a href="https://www.sphinx-doc.org/">Sphinx</a> 8.2.3.392 </div>393 394 </body>395</html>