Important

This documentation covers IPython versions 6.0 and higher. Beginning with version 6.0, IPython stopped supporting compatibility with Python versions lower than 3.3 including all versions of Python 2.7.

If you are looking for an IPython version compatible with Python 2.7, please use the IPython 5.x LTS release and refer to its documentation (LTS is the long term support release).

New IPython Console Lexer

Added in version 2.0.0.

The IPython console lexer has been rewritten and now supports tracebacks and customized input/output prompts. An entire suite of lexers is now available at IPython.lib.lexers. These include:

IPythonLexer & IPython3Lexer

Lexers for pure IPython (python + magic/shell commands)

IPythonPartialTracebackLexer & IPythonTracebackLexer

Supports 2.x and 3.x via the keyword python3. The partial traceback lexer reads everything but the Python code appearing in a traceback. The full lexer combines the partial lexer with an IPython lexer.

IPythonConsoleLexer

A lexer for IPython console sessions, with support for tracebacks. Supports 2.x and 3.x via the keyword python3.

IPyLexer

A friendly lexer which examines the first line of text and from it, decides whether to use an IPython lexer or an IPython console lexer. Supports 2.x and 3.x via the keyword python3.

Previously, the IPythonConsoleLexer class was available at IPython.sphinxext.ipython_console_hightlight. It was inserted into Pygments’ list of available lexers under the name ipython. It should be mentioned that this name is inaccurate, since an IPython console session is not the same as IPython code (which itself is a superset of the Python language).

Now, the Sphinx extension inserts two console lexers into Pygments’ list of available lexers. Both are IPyLexer instances under the names: ipython and ipython3. Although the names can be confusing (as mentioned above), their continued use is, in part, to maintain backwards compatibility and to aid typical usage. If a project needs to make Pygments aware of more than just the IPyLexer class, then one should not make the IPyLexer class available under the name ipython and use ipy or some other non-conflicting value.

Code blocks such as:

.. code-block:: ipython

    In [1]: 2**2
    Out[1]: 4

will continue to work as before, but now, they will also properly highlight tracebacks. For pure IPython code, the same lexer will also work:

.. code-block:: ipython

    x = ''.join(map(str, range(10)))
    !echo $x

Since the first line of the block did not begin with a standard IPython console prompt, the entire block is assumed to consist of IPython code instead.