IPython extensions#

IPython extensions are Python modules that change the behavior of the shell. They are identified by an importable module name and are usually located in .ipython/extensions/.

Some important extensions are already included in IPython: autoreload and storemagic. You can find other extensions in the Extensions Index or on PyPI with the IPython tag.

Use extensions#

The %load_ext magic can be used to load extensions while IPython is running.

%load_ext myextension

Alternatively, an extension can also be loaded each time IPython is started by listing it in the IPython configuration file:

c.InteractiveShellApp.extensions = [
    'myextension'
]

If you haven’t created an IPython configuration file yet, you can do this with:

$ ipython profile create [profilename]

If no profile name is given, default is used. The file is usually created in ~/.ipython/profile_default/ and named depending on the purpose: ipython_config.py is used for all IPython commands, while ipython_notebook_config.py is only used for commands in IPython notebooks.

Writing IPython extensions#

An IPython extension is an importable Python module that has special functions for loading and unloading:

def load_ipython_extension(ipython):
    # The `ipython` argument is the currently active `InteractiveShell`
    # instance, which can be used in any way. This allows you to register
    # new magics or aliases, for example.

def unload_ipython_extension(ipython):
    # If you want your extension to be unloadable, put that logic here.