Python Prompt Toolkit

Warning

Please notice that this is the documentation for the 2.0 branch of prompt_toolkit. It is incompatible with the 1.0 branch, but much better in many regards. On Pypi you’ll still find the 1.0 branch, but a release should follow soon. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to test this branch and report any bugs.

prompt_toolkit is a library for building powerful interactive command line and terminal applications in Python.

It can be a very advanced pure Python replacement for GNU readline, but it can also be used for building full screen applications.

Some features:

• Syntax highlighting of the input while typing. (For instance, with a Pygments lexer.)
• Multi-line input editing.
• Advanced code completion.
• Selecting text for copy/paste. (Both Emacs and Vi style.)
• Mouse support for cursor positioning and scrolling.
• Auto suggestions. (Like fish shell.)
• No global state.

Like readline:

• Both Emacs and Vi key bindings.
• Reverse and forward incremental search.
• Works well with Unicode double width characters. (Chinese input.)

Works everywhere:

• Pure Python. Runs on all Python versions from 2.6 up to 3.4.
• Runs on Linux, OS X, OpenBSD and Windows systems.
• Lightweight, the only dependencies are Pygments, six and wcwidth.
• No assumptions about I/O are made. Every prompt_toolkit application should also run in a telnet/ssh server or an asyncio process.

Have a look at the gallery to get an idea of what is possible.

Getting started

Go to getting started and build your first prompt.

Thanks to:

A special thanks to all the contributors for making prompt_toolkit possible.

Also, a special thanks to the Pygments and wcwidth libraries.

Table of contents

• Gallery
  • Ptpython, a Python REPL
  • Pyvim, a Vim clone
  • Pymux, a terminal multiplexer (like tmux) in Python
• Getting started
  • Installation
  • Several use cases: prompts versus full screen terminal applications
  • A simple prompt
  • Learning prompt_toolkit
• Upgrading to prompt_toolkit 2.0
  • Why all these breaking changes?
  • Some new features
  • Upgrading
    • AbortAction has been removed
    • Calling create_eventloop usually not required anymore
    • Pygments styles and tokens
    • Asynchronous autocompletion
• Printing (and using) formatted text
  • Printing plain text
  • Formatted text
    • HTML
    • ANSI
    • Style/text tuples
    • Pygments (Token, text) tuples
    • to_formatted_text
• Asking for input (prompts)
  • Hello world
  • The Prompt object
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Colors
    • Using a Pygments style
    • Coloring the prompt itself
  • Autocompletion
    • A custom completer
    • Styling individual completions
    • Complete while typing
    • Asynchronous completion
  • Input validation
  • History
  • Auto suggestion
  • Adding a bottom toolbar
  • Adding a right prompt
  • Vi input mode
  • Adding custom key bindings
    • Enable key bindings according to a condition
    • Dynamically switch between Emacs and Vi mode
  • Other prompt options
    • Multiline input
    • Passing a default
    • Mouse support
    • Line wrapping
    • Password input
  • Prompt in an asyncio application
• Dialogs
  • Message box
  • Input box
  • Yes/No confirmation dialog
  • Button dialog
  • Styling of dialogs
• Building full screen applications
  • A simple application
  • I/O objects
  • The layout
    • A layered layout architecture
    • Containers and controls
    • Focusing windows
  • Key bindings
    • Global key bindings
    • Modal containers
  • More about the Window class
  • More about buffers and BufferControl
    • Input processors
• Advanced topics
• Reference
  • Application
  • Formatted text
  • Buffer
  • Selection
  • Clipboard
  • Auto completion
  • Document
  • Enums
  • History
  • Keys
  • Style
  • Reactive
  • Shortcuts
  • Validation
  • Auto suggestion
  • Renderer
  • Lexers
  • Layout
    • The layout class itself
    • Containers
    • Controls
    • Other
  • Filters
  • Key binding
  • Eventloop
  • Input
  • Output

Indices and tables

• Index
• Module Index
• Search Page

Prompt_toolkit was created by Jonathan Slenders.