Re: [Python-ideas] python -c "..." should output result like the interpreter

On 29 December 2010 13:36, Michael Foord <fuzzyman@voidspace.org.uk> wrote:

Hello all,

I often use python as a calculator or for simple operations using -c. It would be enormously useful if python -c "..." would output on stdout the result of the last evaluated expression in the same way that the interactive interpreter does.

The following outputs nothing:

    python -c "12 / 4.1"

So you always have to prefix expressions with print to see the result.

I like the idea, but that's a fairly big semantic change. What about adding an -e option that takes an expression, and prints its value? So you'd have python -e "12 / 4.1" (AFAICT, -e is unused at present). Paul.