I’m working on the default python interpreter on Mac OS X, and I Cmd+K (cleared) my earlier commands. I can go through them one by one using the arrow keys. But is there an option like the –history option in bash shell, which shows you all the commands you’ve entered so far?

Use readline.get_current_history_length() to get the length, and readline.get_history_item() to view each.

Code for printing the entire history:

Python 3

One-liner (quick copy and paste):

import readline; print('\n'.join([str(readline.get_history_item(i + 1)) for i in range(readline.get_current_history_length())]))

(Or longer version…)

import readline
for i in range(readline.get_current_history_length()):
    print (readline.get_history_item(i + 1))

Python 2

One-liner (quick copy and paste):

import readline; print '\n'.join([str(readline.get_history_item(i + 1)) for i in range(readline.get_current_history_length())])

(Or longer version…)

import readline
for i in range(readline.get_current_history_length()):
    print readline.get_history_item(i + 1)

Note: get_history_item() is indexed from 1 to n.

With python 3 interpreter the history is written to
~/.python_history

If you want to write the history to a file:

import readline
readline.write_history_file('python_history.txt')

The help function gives:

Help on built-in function write_history_file in module readline:

write_history_file(...)
    write_history_file([filename]) -> None
    Save a readline history file.
    The default filename is ~/.history.

Since the above only works for python 2.x for python 3.x (specifically 3.5) is similar but with a slight modification:

import readline
for i in range(readline.get_current_history_length()):
    print (readline.get_history_item(i + 1))

note the extra ()

(using shell scripts to parse .python_history or using python to modify the above code is a matter of personal taste and situation imho)

In IPython %history -g should give you the entire command history. The default configuration also saves your history into a file named .python_history in your user directory.

A simple function to get the history similar to unix/bash version.

Hope it helps some new folks.

def ipyhistory(lastn=None):
    """
    param: lastn Defaults to None i.e full history. If specified then returns lastn records from history.
           Also takes -ve sequence for first n history records.
    """
    import readline
    assert lastn is None or isinstance(lastn, int), "Only integers are allowed."
    hlen = readline.get_current_history_length()
    is_neg = lastn is not None and lastn < 0
    if not is_neg:
        flen = len(str(hlen)) if not lastn else len(str(lastn))
        for r in range(1,hlen+1) if not lastn else range(1, hlen+1)[-lastn:]:
            print(": ".join([str(r if not lastn else r + lastn - hlen ).rjust(flen), readline.get_history_item(r)]))
    else:
        flen = len(str(-hlen))
        for r in range(1, -lastn + 1):
            print(": ".join([str(r).rjust(flen), readline.get_history_item(r)]))

Snippet: Tested with Python3. Let me know if there are any glitches with python2. Samples:

Full History : ipyhistory()

Last 10 History: ipyhistory(10)

First 10 History: ipyhistory(-10)

Hope it helps fellas.

@Jason-V, it really help, thanks. then, i found this examples and composed to own snippet.

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import os, readline, atexit
python_history = os.path.join(os.environ['HOME'], '.python_history')
try:
  readline.read_history_file(python_history)
  readline.parse_and_bind("tab: complete")
  readline.set_history_length(5000)
  atexit.register(readline.write_history_file, python_history)
except IOError:
  pass
del os, python_history, readline, atexit 

This should give you the commands printed out in separate lines:

import readline
map(lambda p:print(readline.get_history_item(p)),
    map(lambda p:p, range(readline.get_current_history_length()))
)

Rehash of Doogle‘s answer that doesn’t printline numbers, but does allow specifying the number of lines to print.

def history(lastn=None):
    """
    param: lastn Defaults to None i.e full history. If specified then returns lastn records from history.
           Also takes -ve sequence for first n history records.
    """
    import readline
    assert lastn is None or isinstance(lastn, int), "Only integers are allowed."
    hlen = readline.get_current_history_length()
    is_neg = lastn is not None and lastn < 0
    if not is_neg:
        for r in range(1,hlen+1) if not lastn else range(1, hlen+1)[-lastn:]:
            print(readline.get_history_item(r))
    else:
        for r in range(1, -lastn + 1):
            print(readline.get_history_item(r))