Python Debugging Techniques

Essential debugging techniques for Python:

Using pdb for Interactive Debugging

import pdb

def complex_function(data):
    processed = []
    for item in data:
        pdb.set_trace()  # Debugger will stop here
        result = process_item(item)
        processed.append(result)
    return processed

Logging Best Practices

import logging

logging.basicConfig(
    level=logging.DEBUG,
    format='%(asctime)s - %(name)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s'
)

logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

def my_function(value):
    logger.debug(f"Processing value: {value}")
    try:
        result = risky_operation(value)
        logger.info(f"Successfully processed: {result}")
        return result
    except Exception as e:
        logger.error(f"Error processing {value}: {e}")
        raise

Using assert for Development

def divide(a, b):
    assert b != 0, "Division by zero is not allowed"
    assert isinstance(a, (int, float)), "First argument must be a number"
    assert isinstance(b, (int, float)), "Second argument must be a number"
    return a / b

IPython for Better REPL Experience

Use %debug magic command to drop into debugger after an exception.