Make Ctrl-C from idle state consistent with other Python REPLS in Python language runtime and console

[softwarenerd]

When I press Ctrl-C in an idle Python REPL, I see a KeyboardInterrupt for each Ctrl-C. See movie below. This does not happen in the Positron Python language runtime / console, so there is no indication that anything has happened.

Screen.Recording.2023-09-05.at.11.46.57.AM.mov

[seeM]

In IPython, Ctrl-C on an empty line does nothing, and Ctrl-C on a line with text removes the text but doesn't create a new prompt. Given that IPython already differs from the Python REPL here, I don't personally think it's critical that we stay consistent, but I'm curious to hear from others too.

[isabelizimm]

I would stick to matching/staying close to IPython, which is what Positron does now (the difference is Positron adds newlines). My mental model is that Ctrl+C is an interrupt, but if there is nothing executing in the REPL, there is nothing to interrupt. I wouldn't say I feel super strongly about this though.

[juliasilge]

We chatted about the Ctrl+C behavior in #1148 and reiterated these thoughts:

• Ctrl+c:
  • In an ordinary python REPL (or in a pdb prompt), it prints KeyboardInterrupt (or --KeyboardInterrupt-- in pdb) and creates a new prompt.
  • In an IPython REPL (or in an ipdb prompt), it only clears the input and doesn't print anything or create a new prompt.

I don't think too many people use ordinary Python REPLs (I might be wrong) so I would lean toward IPython where they deviate.

How do we want to handle the differences between RStudio and Python here?

Originally posted by @seeM in #1148 (comment)