Debugging using By: Samuel Ashby

What is debugging?  A bug is an error in either a program or the hardware itself.  Debugging is first locating and then fixing or bypassing bugs.  Need to isolate the source of the problem.

Text Editors  IDEs are complicated and take time and patience to learn to use its features.  When learning a language a text editor hides nothing and can help a programmer become more proficient with the language.  An IDE won’t fix terrible code.

PyCharm Benefits  It takes a lot less time and effort to develop an application in PyCharm or any IDE than not using one at all.  The tools and features that come with an IDE provide shortcuts to commonly used code or other code you may have already done.  Less time is spent debugging because the IDE catches onto mistakes.  Project management is easier because you don’t need to go back and forth looking in the file system for something you need to edit.

Starting Off  Need to create a new project once in PyCharm.  It is also possible to just open a file.  Using a project rather then a single file makes project management easier.

Project Interpreter  What is a project interpreter and why is it needed?  The interpreter is what is actually compiling the python code to run.  Get the interpreter download from they have a download tab on the main page.  Select python.exe from its directory for use as the project interpreter in PyCharm.

PyCharm Assistance  All syntax errors are underlined with a red wavy line.  Will make smart suggestions.  PyCharm integrates with PEP8 to guard code integrity and report any code style violations to you.

Running your application Example: Syntax Error after running

Debugging Options  Finding the origin of the bug yourself by using the information given to you in the console after the run-time error. OR  Open a debug session in PyCharm.

What is a debug session?  It is working with a interactive debugger console that PyCharm provides that enables you to view the output and messages.  The interactive console has features like typing and executing commands in its own pane, load source code from the editor into the console, view a history of commands, and basic code completion.

Breakpoints  Breakpoints are markers in your source code that trigger actions during a debugging session.  A breakpoint is displayed in the left gutter area and it will have a small icon denoting its status.  Clicking an icon removes the breakpoint.  Alt-Clicking on an icon toggles its state between enabled and disabled.

Interface  Frames Pane: shows a list of threads in your application.  Variables Pane: lets you examine the values store in the objects of your application.  Watches Pane: here you evaluate any number of variables or expressions in the current stack frame.

Overview of Options  The debugger is graphical and has features like breakpoints, frames view, and watching/evaluating expression that you didn’t have otherwise.  Extra features may get in the way of simpler bug fixes.  May help with bigger projects that you can’t easily find the origin of bugs.  Clean code always prevails.

The takeaway?  IDEs like PyCharm have plenty of features to aid in the process of coding and debugging without doing enough that would make the programmers job useless.

Questions?