Overview

This is standard Python Debugger extended with few features that makes debugging easier.

stxnext.pdb offer convenience mainly for zope users, but can be used for other python projects too.

Features

New features added to standard pdb:

• improved dir function. Standard dir function lists names of all methods and attributs of some object. This improved dir prints output from this function in few columns. Also possible is filtering using regular expressions.

  Examples:

  (STX Next pdb) obj = object()
  (STX Next pdb) dir(obj)
  __class__                                 __reduce__
  __delattr__                               __reduce_ex__
  __doc__                                   __repr__
  __getattribute__                          __setattr__
  __hash__                                  __str__
  __init__
  __new__
  (STX Next pdb) dir obj attr
  __delattr__                               __setattr__
  __getattribute__
  (STX Next pdb) dir obj ^__[r-z]+
  __reduce__                                __setattr__
  __reduce_ex__                             __str__
  __repr__
  

• info command prints basic information about object.

  Examples:

  (STX Next pdb) info obj
  type:        <type 'object'>
  class:       <type 'object'>
  id:          140460386956752
  str:         <object object at 0x7fbf7b7835d0>
  repr:        <object object at 0x7fbf7b7835d0>
  docstring:   The most base type
  

• update_locals (ul) - update current locals by few useful variables and functions. If stxnext.pdb can find zope or plone it imports frequently used functions (e.g. getToolByName, getMultiAdapter, alsoProvides). If context is available it can also import plone tools. stxnext.pdb looks for variables named self.context, context and self in current locals. If context should be other it can be passwd as parameter:

  Examples:

  (STX Next pdb) update_locals #zope found, context unknown
  New locals:
      Attribute
      Interface
      ...
      schema
      sys
  
  (STX Next pdb) ul this_is_context #zope and plone found, correct context
  New locals:
      Attribute
      Interface
      ...
      sys
      uid_catalog
  

Using

stxnext.pdb can be opened by standard pdb invoke - only pdb must be imported from stxnext module.

Because collective SVN repository blocks commits with set_trace in code, in next line you must replace '*' with '_':

>>> import pdb; pdb.set*trace() #open standard pdb
(Pdb) c
>>> from stxnext import pdb; pdb.set*trace()
(STX Next pdb) c

If zope instance runned with debug-mode=on, pdb can be invoked from web browser - just add pdb to url (e.g. http://127.0.0.1:8080/plonesite/pdb). In this approach stxnext.pdb tries to turn on tab completion - see rlcompleter documentation.

Installation

Alternatively, if you are using zc.buildout to manage your project, you can do this:

• Add stxnext.pdb to the list of eggs to install, e.g.:

  [buildout]
  ...
  eggs =
      ...
      stxnext.pdb
  

• If you're using plone.recipe.zope2instance recipe to manage your instance add this lines to install a ZCML slug:

  [instance]
  recipe = plone.recipe.zope2instance
  ...
  zcml =
      ...
      stxnext.pdb
  

• If you're using zc.zope3recipes:application recipe to manage your instance add this lines to install a ZCML slug:

  [instance]
  recipe = zc.zope3recipes:application
  ...
  site.zcml =
      ...
      <include package="stxnext.pdb" />
  

• Re-run buildout, e.g. with:

  $ ./bin/buildout
  

You can skip the ZCML slug if you are going to explicitly include the package from another package's configure.zcml file.

References

• stxnext.pdb home page
• stxnext.pdb at pypi
• Python Debugger
• rlcompleter documentation

Author & Contact

STX Next Sp. z o.o.

http://stxnext.pl

info@stxnext.pl