Esmail wrote:
Hi Ben,
Ben Finney wrote:
Whenever a simple output statement is too cumbersome for debugging, I
take it as a sign that the program is too cumbersome to follow.
I'll have to think about this .. though my gut says this is true :-)
That is not always true. When it comes to implement complex tasks, you
can't always avoid writing complex code. Python does not get your code
more complex than your algorithm, but it cannot always simplify it.
Ben is right when he says that code can often be written in a more
simpler manner, but they are some occasions when you have to write
complex code, that the print debug statement won't be efficient enough
to sort things out. I personally develop/maintain a full application
written in python (and quite complex for some parts), using the ipdb
debugger just saved my hours (days) of headache about some very
difficult bug to spot
re your other point about the interactive shell, I agree it's useful, but
to me still doesn't quite do what a full-fledged debugger can - but
perhaps
that is a reflection of my skill with the shell at this point.
Always more to learn.
Esmail
90% of the time, print statements + ipython shell will do the trick. The
post mortem debugging is also very useful. Execute your python file in
ipython, then when it exits upon exception, execute
>>> import pdb ; pdb.pm()
You can then inspect the symbols easily.
JM
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