Setting Breakpoints and Exception Hooks in Python

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Final Up to date on Might 6, 2022

There are alternative ways of debugging code in Python, one among which is to introduce breakpoints into the code at factors the place one wish to invoke a Python debugger. The statements used to enter a debugging session at totally different name websites depend upon the model of the Python interpreter that one is working with, as we will see on this tutorial. 

On this tutorial, you’ll uncover varied methods of setting breakpoints in numerous variations of Python. 

After finishing this tutorial, you’ll know:

  • Methods to invoke the pdb debugger in earlier variations of Python
  • Methods to use the brand new, built-in
    breakpoint() perform launched in Python 3.7
  • Methods to write your individual
    breakpoint() perform to simplify the debugging course of in earlier variations of Python
  • Methods to use a autopsy debugger

Let’s get began. 

Setting Breakpoints in Totally different Variations of Python
Picture by Josh Withers, some rights reserved.

Tutorial Overview

This tutorial is split into three elements; they’re:

  • Setting Breakpoints in Python Code
    • Invoking the pdb Debugger in Earlier Variations of Python
    • Utilizing the breakpoint() Perform in Python 3.7
  • Writing One’s Personal breakpoint() Perform for Earlier Variations of Python
  • Limitations of the breakpoint() Perform

Setting Breakpoints in Python Code

We’ve got beforehand seen that a technique of debugging a Python script is to run it within the command line with the Python debugger. 

So as to take action, we would wish to make use of the
m pdb command that hundreds the pdb module earlier than executing the Python script. In the identical command-line interface, we’d then observe this by a particular debugger command of selection, akin to
n to maneuver to the following line or
s if we intend to step right into a perform. 

This technique might turn out to be cumbersome rapidly because the size of the code will increase. One technique to handle this downside and acquire higher management over the place to interrupt your code is to insert a breakpoint instantly into the code. 

Invoking the pdb Debugger in Earlier Variations of Python

Invoking the pdb debugger previous to Python 3.7 would require you to
import pdb and name
pdb.set_trace() on the level in your code the place you wish to enter an interactive debugging session. 

If we rethink, for example, the code for implementing the overall consideration mechanism, we will break into the code as follows:

Executing the script now opens up the pdb debugger proper earlier than we compute the variable scores, and we will proceed to problem any debugger instructions of selection, akin to
n to maneuver to the following line or
c to proceed execution:

Though purposeful, this isn’t essentially the most elegant and intuitive method of inserting a breakpoint into your code. Python 3.7 implements a extra simple means of doing so, as we will see subsequent.

Utilizing the breakpoint() Perform in Python 3.7 

Python 3.7 comes with a built-in
breakpoint() perform that enters the Python debugger on the name website (or the purpose within the code at which the
breakpoint() assertion is positioned). 

When known as, the default implementation of the
breakpoint() perform will name
sys.breakpointhook(), which in flip calls the
pdb.set_trace() perform. That is handy as a result of we won’t must
import pdb and name
pdb.set_trace() explicitly ourselves. 

Let’s rethink the code for implementing the overall consideration mechanism and now introduce a breakpoint through the
breakpoint() assertion:

One benefit of utilizing the
breakpoint() perform is that, in calling the default implementation of
sys.breakpointhook(), the worth of a brand new surroundings variable,
PYTHONBREAKPOINT, is consulted. This surroundings variable can take varied values, primarily based on which totally different operations might be carried out. 

For instance, setting the worth of
PYTHONBREAKPOINT to 0 disables all breakpoints. Therefore, your code might include as many breakpoints as crucial, however these might be simply stopped from halting the execution of the code with out having to take away them bodily. If (for instance) the identify of the script containing the code is fundamental.py, we’d disable all breakpoints by calling it within the command line interface as follows:

In any other case, we will obtain the identical final result by setting the surroundings variable within the code itself:

The worth of
PYTHONBREAKPOINT is consulted each time that
sys.breakpointhook() known as. Which means the worth of this surroundings variable might be modified throughout the code execution, and the
breakpoint() perform would reply accordingly.  

The
PYTHONBREAKPOINT surroundings variable may also be set to different values, such because the identify of a callable. Say, as an illustration, that we’d like to make use of a special Python debugger aside from pdb, akin to ipdb (run
pip set up ipdb first if the debugger has not but been put in). On this case, we’d name the fundamental.py script within the command line interface and hook the debugger with out making any modifications to the code itself:

In doing so, the
breakpoint() perform enters the ipdb debugger on the subsequent name website:

The perform can even take enter arguments as
breakpoint(*args, **kws), that are then handed on to
sys.breakpointhook(). It is because any callable (akin to a third-party debugger module) may settle for elective arguments, which might be handed by the
breakpoint() perform. 

Writing Your Personal breakpoint() Perform in Earlier Variations of Python

Let’s return to the truth that variations of Python sooner than v3.7 don’t include the
breakpoint() perform readily in-built. We will write our personal. 

Equally to how the
breakpoint() perform is applied from Python 3.7 onwards, we will implement a perform that checks the worth of an surroundings variable and:

  • Skips all breakpoints within the code if the worth of the surroundings variable is ready to 0.
  • Enters into the default Python pdb debugger if the surroundings variable is an empty string.
  • Enters into one other debugger as specified by the worth of the surroundings variable. 

We will embrace this perform into the code and run it (utilizing a Python 2.7 interpreter, on this case). If we set the worth of the surroundings variable to an empty string, we discover that the pdb debugger stops on the level within the code at which we have now positioned our
breakpoint() perform. We will then problem debugger instructions into the command line from there onwards:

Equally, if we set the surroundings variable to:

The
breakpoint() perform that we have now applied now enters the ipdb debugger and stops on the name website:

Setting the surroundings variable to 0 merely skips all breakpoints, and the computed consideration output is returned within the command line, as anticipated:

This facilitates the method of breaking into the code for Python variations sooner than v3.7 as a result of it now turns into a matter of setting the worth of an surroundings variable fairly than having to manually introduce (or take away) the
import pdb; pdb.set_trace() assertion at totally different name websites within the code. 

Limitations of the breakpoint() Perform

The breakpoint() perform permits you to convey within the debugger in some unspecified time in the future in this system. It is advisable to discover the precise place that you simply want the debugger to place the breakpoint into it. For those who think about the next code:

This can convey you the debugger when the perform func() raised exceptions. It may be triggered by the perform itself or deep inside another features that it calls. However the debugger will begin on the line print("exception!") above, which is probably not very helpful.

The best way that we will convey up the debugger on the level of exception known as the autopsy debugger. It really works by asking Python to register the debugger pdb.pm() because the exception handler when an uncaught exception is raised. When it’s known as, it is going to search for the final exception raised and begin the debugger at that time. To make use of the autopsy debugger, we simply want so as to add the next code earlier than this system is run:

That is helpful as a result of nothing else must be modified in this system. For instance, assume we need to consider the common of $1/x$ utilizing the next program. It’s fairly simple to miss some nook circumstances, however we will catch the difficulty when an exception is raised:

Once we run the above program, this system might terminate, or it might increase a division by zero exception, relying on whether or not the random quantity generator ever produces zero within the loop. In that case, we may even see the next:

the place we discovered the exception is raised at which line, and we will examine the worth of the variables as we will often do in pdb.

The truth is, it’s extra handy to print the traceback and the exception when the autopsy debugger is launched:

And the debugger session will probably be began as follows:

Additional Studying

This part gives extra sources on the subject if you’re seeking to go deeper.

Web sites

Abstract

On this tutorial, you found varied methods of setting breakpoints in numerous variations of Python. 

Particularly, you discovered:

  • Methods to invoke the pdb debugger in earlier variations of Python
  • Methods to make use of the brand new, built-in
    breakpoint() perform launched in Python 3.7
  • Methods to write your individual
    breakpoint() perform to simplify the debugging course of in earlier variations of Python

Do you could have any questions?

Ask your questions within the feedback beneath, and I’ll do my greatest to reply.

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