IPython is a free software project which tries to:

   1. Provide an interactive shell superior to Python's
      default. IPython has many features for object introspection,
      system shell access, and its own special command system for
      adding functionality when working interactively. It tries to be
      a very efficient environment both for Python code development
      and for exploration of problems using Python objects (in
      situations like data analysis).

   2. Serve as an embeddable, ready to use interpreter for your own
      programs. IPython can be started with a single call from inside
      another program, providing access to the current namespace. This
      can be very useful both for debugging purposes and for
      situations where a blend of batch-processing and interactive
      exploration are needed.

   3. Offer a flexible framework which can be used as the base
      environment for other systems with Python as the underlying
      language. Specifically scientific environments like Mathematica,
      IDL and Mathcad inspired its design, but similar ideas can be
      useful in many fields.