.. _history: ======= History ======= Origins ======= IPython was started in 2001 by Fernando Perez. IPython as we know it today grew out of the following three projects: * ipython by Fernando PĂ©rez. I was working on adding Mathematica-type prompts and a flexible configuration system (something better than $PYTHONSTARTUP) to the standard Python interactive interpreter. * IPP by Janko Hauser. Very well organized, great usability. Had an old help system. IPP was used as the 'container' code into which I added the functionality from ipython and LazyPython. * LazyPython by Nathan Gray. Simple but very powerful. The quick syntax (auto parens, auto quotes) and verbose/colored tracebacks were all taken from here. Here is how Fernando describes it: When I found out about IPP and LazyPython I tried to join all three into a unified system. I thought this could provide a very nice working environment, both for regular programming and scientific computing: shell-like features, IDL/Matlab numerics, Mathematica-type prompt history and great object introspection and help facilities. I think it worked reasonably well, though it was a lot more work than I had initially planned. Today and how we got here ========================= This needs to be filled in.