gh-148321: use --quit-if-one-screen option for the pager (new REPL)

[skirpichev]

Currently, by passing --clear-screen (-c) to the pager --- small texts (like few-sentences docstrings) are shown at top of the screen, just as big texts.

I believe it would be better to show this inline instead, not clearing last session commands with output and so on. BTW, this is the default for git commands, e.g. git-log. Of course, we loose on this way ability to use pager for search, but terminal emulators usually have similar capability on its own.

• Issue: Don't call pager with --clear-screen #148321

[skirpichev]

Like #146382, this might be viewed as a cosmetic change. Though, it's user-visible. So, let me know if I should add news.

[StanFromIreland]

Currently, by passing --clear-screen (-c) to the pager --- small texts (like few-sentences docstrings) are shown at top of the screen, just as big texts.

Not exactly, before -c's addition, small texts still appeared in the pager, just at the bottom of the screen. However that issue is irrelevant with -F.

[skirpichev]

Not exactly, before -c's addition, small texts still appeared in the pager, just at the bottom of the screen.

No. If your input at the bottom of the screen (which is usual for a long session) - the screen will not be cleared. For this reason, I doubt this worth a backports. But technically, we can do backports for 3.13/14.

[StanFromIreland]

If your input at the bottom of the screen

I still don't quite get how to reproduce that? I tried at the bottom of the screen,

Screencast.From.2026-04-10.09-36-19.mp4

But no luck?

[skirpichev]

@StanFromIreland, indeed. I would guess it's related to our local settings.

In my case:

$ echo $PAGER 
less
$ $PAGER --version
less 668 (GNU regular expressions)
Copyright (C) 1984-2024  Mark Nudelman

less comes with NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
For information about the terms of redistribution,
see the file named README in the less distribution.
Home page: https://greenwoodsoftware.com/less

The current patch does work for you as expected (ie. not clear screen)? If so, then it does make sense to backport it.