Abstract

This package provides an integration of the Python debugger pdb into the VIM editor.

Requirements

vimpdb requires a VIM that supports both python and clientserver options.

Find out if it is the case by issuing the following command at the VIM prompt:

:version

If the options are supported, you will see +clientserver and +python in the output. In the opposite case, you will see -clientserver or -python.

For Mac OS X, you'll want to use MacVIM, for Linux and Windows the default build should be already server-enabled. MacVIM has python compiled in by default, also.

Installation

Just install this package using easy_install or similar:

$ easy_install vimpdb

Configuration

You might need to setup the VIMPDB_VIMSCRIPT environment variable. It should hold the command used at the shell prompt to launch a VIM supporting the options mentioned above. (Default value is vimpdb).

This script should also set the --servername option to specify a server name. You can think of this as a "window name" which is used to send remote commands to -- this is how vimpdb communicates with a certain VIM instance.

$ vim --serverlist
VIM

$ /Applications/MacVim.app/Contents/MacOS/Vim --serverlist
VIM

$ vim --servername VIMPDB

$ mvim --servername VIMPDB

Using

Using vimpdb is easy -- just call set_trace as usual:

import vimpdb; vimpdb.set_trace()

Now, when the python interpreter hits that line, VIM will get the focus and load the source file.

Now you'll be able to use the following commands:

Standard Pdb hook

If you find it hard to change habits and keep on typing

import pdb; pdb.set_trace()

you can add the following line to the .pdbrc file sitting in your home folder:

import vimpdb; vimpdb.hookPdb()

This way, the command v(im) mentioned above is added to your standard Pdb and you can switch to vimpdb at any time.

Known issues

• Currently, when you stop debugging, the buffers which you debugged with are left in an inconvenient state : the keys mapped to Pdb commands are still mapped. In other words, switching from debugging to fixing code is not convenient.

CREDITS

• Godefroid Chapelle
• Jean-Francois Roche
• Stefan Eletzhofer
• Rewrite started when looking at vimpdbhook by Stefan Eletzhofer http://code.google.com/p/vimpdbhook/
• Some code taken from vimpdb 0.2.1 by Stefan Eletzhofer
• Some code taken from VimPdb.vim by Yaron Budowski http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=2043

Changelog

TODO

• add option to allow other network settings (instead of hardcoded)
• try to start Vim server if it is not started
• try to guess Vim server name to avoid use of VIMPDB_SERVERNAME
• check and complain if Vim does not support the right options
• add command to set/reset key mappings/readonly state to allow to switch to editing mode
• register menu
• and much more...