IPython Magic Commands in Jupyter Notebook (2026) - Part 8 | Step-by-Step Guide

Magic Commands¶

In Jupyter Notebook, Magic Commands are special built-in commands that provide additional functionality beyond normal Python commands.
They help users perform tasks such as file handling, timing code execution, managing variables, and controlling the notebook environment more easily.
Magic commands usually start with % for line magics and %% for cell magics.
They are designed to make working in Jupyter Notebook faster and more interactive.

1. %autocall¶

Automatically adds parentheses when calling functions.
Makes function calls more convenient in interactive sessions.
Has three modes:
0 = Off
1 = Smart
2 = Full

In [1]:

len("Hello")

Out[1]:

5

In [2]:

%autocall 2

Automatic calling is: Full

In [3]:

len "Hello"

------> len("Hello")
------> len("Hello")

Out[3]:

5

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2. %pdef¶

Displays the function signature (definition) of an object.
Useful for checking parameters accepted by a function.
Similar to viewing a function prototype.

In [4]:

%pdef print

 print(*args, sep=' ', end='\n', file=None, flush=False)
 

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3. %pdoc¶

Shows the documentation (docstring) of an object.
Helps understand what a function, class, or module does.
Similar to Python's help() function.

In [5]:

%pdoc print

Class docstring:
    Prints the values to a stream, or to sys.stdout by default.
    
    sep
      string inserted between values, default a space.
    end
      string appended after the last value, default a newline.
    file
      a file-like object (stream); defaults to the current sys.stdout.
    flush
      whether to forcibly flush the stream.
Call docstring:
    Call self as a function.

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4. %pfile¶

Displays the source file where an object is defined.
Opens and shows the contents of the corresponding Python file.
Useful for inspecting implementation details.

In [ ]:

import statistics

%pfile statistics.mean

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5. %psearch¶

Searches for objects matching a pattern.
Useful when you remember only part of a function or variable name.
Supports wildcard searches.

In [7]:

%psearch st*

staticmethod
statistics
str

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6. %autoawait¶

Controls automatic handling of await expressions.
Useful when working with asynchronous code (async/await).
Commonly used in Jupyter notebooks.

In [8]:

%autoawait on

In [9]:

import asyncio

await asyncio.sleep(1)
print("Done")

Done

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7. %autosave¶

Sets the notebook's autosave interval.
Time is specified in seconds.
Helps prevent loss of work.

In [10]:

%autosave 60

Autosaving every 60 seconds

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8. %code_wrap¶

Wraps selected code in a predefined template.
Useful for quickly creating functions, loops, exception blocks, etc.
Primarily available in IPython/Jupyter environments that support code templates.

In [11]:

%%code_wrap test
print('test')
__code__

In [12]:

%code_wrap --list-all

test
test :
    print('test')
    __code__

In [13]:

print("Hello")

test
Hello

In [14]:

%code_wrap --remove test

test

---