[Python] How can I add a command to the Python interactive shell?

I'm trying to save myself just a few keystrokes for a command I type fairly regularly in Python.

In my python startup script, I define a function called load which is similar to import, but adds some functionality. It takes a single string:

def load(s):
# Do some stuff
return something


In order to call this function I have to type

>>> load('something')


I would rather be able to simply type:

>>> load something


I am running Python with readline support, so I know there exists some programmability there, but I don't know if this sort of thing is possible using it.

I attempted to get around this by using the InteractivConsole and creating an instance of it in my startup file, like so:

import code, re, traceback

class LoadingInteractiveConsole(code.InteractiveConsole):
def raw_input(self, prompt = ""):
s = raw_input(prompt)
match = re.match('^load\s+(.+)', s)
if match:
module = match.group(1)
try:
load(module)
print "Loaded " + module
except ImportError:
traceback.print_exc()
return ''
else:
return s

console = LoadingInteractiveConsole()
console.interact("")


This works with the caveat that I have to hit Ctrl-D twice to exit the python interpreter: once to get out of my custom console, once to get out of the real one.

Is there a way to do this without writing a custom C program and embedding the interpreter into it?

Edit


Out of channel, I had the suggestion of appending this to the end of my startup file:

import sys
sys.exit()


It works well enough, but I'm still interested in alternative solutions.

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