IPython is extremely useful if you like using interactive sessions. For example for your usecase there is the save command, you just input save my_useful_session 10-20 23 to save input lines 10 to 20 and 23 to my_useful_session.py. (to help with this, every line is prefixed by its number)

Look at the videos on the documentation page to get a quick overview of the features.

There is a way to do it. Store the file in ~/.pystartup

# Add auto-completion and a stored history file of commands to your Python
# interactive interpreter. Requires Python 2.0+, readline. Autocomplete is
# bound to the Esc key by default (you can change it - see readline docs).
#
# Store the file in ~/.pystartup, and set an environment variable to point
# to it:  "export PYTHONSTARTUP=/home/user/.pystartup" in bash.
#
# Note that PYTHONSTARTUP does *not* expand "~", so you have to put in the
# full path to your home directory.

import atexit
import os
import readline
import rlcompleter

historyPath = os.path.expanduser("~/.pyhistory")

def save_history(historyPath=historyPath):
    import readline
    readline.write_history_file(historyPath)

if os.path.exists(historyPath):
    readline.read_history_file(historyPath)

atexit.register(save_history)
del os, atexit, readline, rlcompleter, save_history, historyPath

You can also add this to get autocomplete for free:

readline.parse_and_bind('tab: complete')

Please note that this will only work on *nix systems. As readline is only available in Unix platform.

Also, reinteract gives you a notebook-like interface to a Python session.

In addition to IPython, a similar utility bpython has a "save the code you've entered to a file" feature

On windows, PythonWin is a lot more productive than that the default python terminal. It has a lot of features that you usually find in IDEs:

• save the terminal session to a file
• colored syntax highlighting
• code completion for classes/properties/variables when you press tab.
• properly browsing when you type "."
• parameter hints when you type "("
• it's a GUI rather than a DOS window, so you have easier copy/paste and autowrapping long lines if you resize the window.

You can download it as part of Python for Windows extensions http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/files/pywin32/

http://www.andrewhjon.es/save-interactive-python-session-history

import readline
readline.write_history_file('/home/ahj/history')

Just putting another suggesting in the bowl: Spyderlib