How to drop into REPL Read Eval Print Loop from Python code

A REPL, or Read, Eval, Print, Loop, is a valuable tool for interactive debugging, testing, and exploring code in Python. It allows you to enter Python expressions or statements and immediately see their results. In this tutorial, we will show you how to drop into a REPL from Python code using the code module and demonstrate it with code examples.
Before you get started, make sure you have Python installed on your system. This tutorial should work with Python 3.x, and you don't need any additional packages or libraries.
The code module provides the necessary functionality to create an interactive REPL session within your Python code. Import it by adding the following line at the beginning of your Python script:
You can create a function that initiates the REPL session when called. Here's an example function named start_repl:
In this function, we copy the global and local variables using the globals() and locals() functions and pass them to the InteractiveConsole constructor. Then, we initiate the interactive console using the interact() method.
To drop into the REPL from your Python code, simply call the start_repl function at the point in your script where you want to start the interactive session. Here's an example:
In the example above, the start_repl function is called after some code execution. When you run this script, it will pause and drop you into the REPL session, allowing you to interact with the variables and execute additional Python code.
Once you enter the REPL session, you can enter Python expressions, statements, or commands interactively. You'll have access to all the variables in the current scope, so you can inspect and modify them as needed.
For example, you can check the values of x and y:
You can also perform any other Python operations, test functions, or experiment with your code in an interactive environment.
To exit the REPL session and continue with your script, you can simply type exit(), quit(), or press Ctrl+D (or Ctrl+Z on Windows) and then press Enter.
Dropping into a REPL from Python code can be a powerful tool for debugging and experimenting with your code interactively. The code module allows you to create an interactive console within your scripts, enabling you to inspect variables, test functions, and explore your code in a live environment.
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