Variable inspector for ipython notebook

ipynb_variable_inspector.py

from IPython.html import widgets # Loads the Widget framework.
from IPython.core.magics.namespace import NamespaceMagics

def _fill():
    v = _var_name.value
    try:
        ve = eval(v)
        vtype = type(ve).__name__
        _modal_body_label.value = str(ve)[:20]
        if vtype == 'DataFrame':
            _modal_body_label.value += ve[:10].to_html()
    except:
        _modal_body_label.value = '{0} {1}'.format(v, 'try')

def go(clicked):
    _fill()
    
_popout = widgets.PopupWidget()
_popout.description = "Variable Inspector"
_popout.button_text = _popout.description
# _popout.set_css({'position':'absolute', 'top': 0, 'right': 0, 'width': '300px', 'height': 400})

_modal_body = widgets.ContainerWidget()
_modal_body.set_css({'overflow-y':'scroll'})

_modal_body_label = widgets.HTMLWidget(value = 'Not hooked')
_modal_body.children = [_modal_body_label]

_vars = widgets.ContainerWidget()
_var_name = widgets.TextWidget()
_gob = widgets.ButtonWidget(description='go')
_vars.set_css({'overflow-y':'scroll'})
_vars.children=[_var_name, _gob]
_gob.on_click(go)

_var_output = widgets.HTMLWidget(value= '')
_popout.children = [
    _vars,
    _modal_body, 
    _var_output
]
_ipython= get_ipython()
_ipython.events.register('post_execute', _fill)

_popout