Object inspections in Python 3.4 IDLE debugger on Windows

Question

I am new to Python. I am using the Python IDLE Debugger on Windows. Is there a way to inspect object attributes in the debugger? The debugger only shows object address/type.

A solution I tried was to create global variables and assign object attributes to them. The debugger then shows global variables. This works for mutable types such as list, but for immutable type such as int, it shows the value at assignment only. Is there a way to bind a global name to a global object's int attribute?

Lefthanded

You could try print statements for simple cases – Rhaetic

@Lefthanded maybe look at alternative IDE's. I use WingIDE and its debugger let you inspect attributes, used/tried other IDE's in the past and they allowed that too. Or maybe use PDB the Python debugger if you don't want to go with another IDE. – Perceptive

Thanks guys. Print for debugging - I use that a lot, but was looking for something more efficient. I'll check out WingIDE. Is there a way to bind a global name to an object's immutable attributes? – Lefthanded

You can bind any name to any accessible object. However, the new binding is independent of previous objects. If you bind a name a to an object o that is an attribute x of object b and you rebind b.x to object p, a remains bound to o and does not track b.x. Adding an new feature to Debugger to display attributes should be possible. I will conisder it. – Colony

In the meanwhile, after a program run from the editor stops, obj, dir(obj) at the Shell prompt displays an object's ending type and dictionary. Inside code, print(obj, dir(obj)) does the same. – Colony

Answer 1

To close the loop on this, based on responses received:

• IDLE debugger does not support object inspection in the pop-up window
• Thanks Terry Jan Reedy for putting it on list for future potential improvements. The IDLE is a big help to new Python programmers

Lefthanded

If you accept you own answer, this will no longer show up on 'unanswered questions'. – Colony