Python Debugging — Techniques and Tools

Print debugging works, but it’s slow. Breakpoints, step-through, profiling — professional tools for professional debugging.

breakpoint() — Built-in Debugger¶

def process_data(items): for item in items: result = transform(item) breakpoint() # Stops here — pdb prompt save(result)

Python Debugging — Techniques and Tools¶

VS Code Debugging¶

// .vscode/launch.json { “configurations”: [{ “name”: “Python: Current File”, “type”: “debugpy”, “request”: “launch”, “program”: “${file}”, “console”: “integratedTerminal” }] }

Profiling¶

cProfile¶

python -m cProfile -s cumulative myapp.py

line_profiler¶

@profile def slow_function(): …

kernprof -l -v myapp.py¶

Key Takeaway¶

breakpoint() for quick debugging, VS Code for step-through, cProfile for performance. Stop using print().