
``rlcompleter`` --- Completion function for GNU readline
********************************************************

The ``rlcompleter`` module defines a completion function suitable for
the ``readline`` module by completing valid Python identifiers and
keywords.

When this module is imported on a Unix platform with the ``readline``
module available, an instance of the ``Completer`` class is
automatically created and its ``complete()`` method is set as the
``readline`` completer.

Example:

   >>> import rlcompleter
   >>> import readline
   >>> readline.parse_and_bind("tab: complete")
   >>> readline. <TAB PRESSED>
   readline.__doc__          readline.get_line_buffer(  readline.read_init_file(
   readline.__file__         readline.insert_text(      readline.set_completer(
   readline.__name__         readline.parse_and_bind(
   >>> readline.

The ``rlcompleter`` module is designed for use with Python's
interactive mode.  A user can add the following lines to his or her
initialization file (identified by the **PYTHONSTARTUP** environment
variable) to get automatic ``Tab`` completion:

   try:
       import readline
   except ImportError:
       print "Module readline not available."
   else:
       import rlcompleter
       readline.parse_and_bind("tab: complete")

On platforms without ``readline``, the ``Completer`` class defined by
this module can still be used for custom purposes.


Completer Objects
=================

Completer objects have the following method:

Completer.complete(text, state)

   Return the *state*th completion for *text*.

   If called for *text* that doesn't include a period character
   (``'.'``), it will complete from names currently defined in
   ``__main__``, ``__builtin__`` and keywords (as defined by the
   ``keyword`` module).

   If called for a dotted name, it will try to evaluate anything
   without obvious side-effects (functions will not be evaluated, but
   it can generate calls to ``__getattr__()``) up to the last part,
   and find matches for the rest via the ``dir()`` function.  Any
   exception raised during the evaluation of the expression is caught,
   silenced and ``None`` is returned.
