How to set the working directory for debugging a Python program in VS Code?

Question

How do I execute a Python file with the debugger and specify the working directory for the run?

Nims

Answer 1

Setting "cwd" to ${FileDirname} in launch.json did not work for me; rather, I tried modifying settings.json, and actually got a solution.

In the settings.json file, add the field: "python.terminal.executeInFileDir": true

After adding this field, my settings.json looks something like:

{
    "python.terminal.executeInFileDir": true
}

This will definitely set the cwd to the directory that contains your file, as opposed to the root folder of the project.

System

I believe ${fileDirname} is case-sensitive as mentioned by Nate demonstrates below. – Avirulent

Answer 2

@SpeedCoder5's comment deserves to be an answer.

In launch.json, specify a dynamic working directory (i.e. the directory where the currently-open Python file is located) using:

"cwd": "${fileDirname}"

This takes advantage of the "variables/variable substitution" feature in VS Code, and the predefined variable fileDirname. Note these variables are case sensitive. Don't use capital-F FileDirname, and be careful of typo's, which might be the problem with answers like these.

Note as comments say, you might also need to add the purpose option:

"purpose": ["debug-in-terminal"]

"Purpose" might be required if using the play button on the top-right of the window, vs F5 or "Run and Debug" in the sidebar.

If you're using the Python: Current File (Integrated Terminal) option when you run Python, your launch.json file might look like mine, below (more info on launch.json files here).

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
    {
            "name": "Python: Current File (Integrated Terminal)",
            "type": "python",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${file}",
            "console": "integratedTerminal",
            "cwd": "${fileDirname}",
            "purpose":["debug-in-terminal"]
    }, 

    //... other settings, but I modified the "Current File" setting above ...
}

The launch.json file controls the run/debug settings of your Visual Studio code project; my launch.json file was auto-generated by VS Code, in the directory of my current "Open Project". I just edited the file manually to add "cwd": "${fileDirname}" as shown above.

Note the launch.json file may be specific to your project, or specific to your directory, so confirm you're editing the correct launch.json (see comment)

If you don't have a launch.json file, try this:

To create a launch.json file, open your project folder in VS Code (File > Open Folder) and then select the Configure gear icon on the Debug view top bar.

Per @kbro's comment, you might be prompted to create a launch.json file by clicking the Debug button itself:

When I clicked on the Debug button on my navigation panel it said "To customise Run and Debug create a launch.json file." Clicking on "create..." opened a dialog asking what language I was debugging. In my case I selected Python

Berck

Any way to set this as a default setting for all configurations? – Kumasi

Be sure you're editing the right launch.json file! In my experience VS Code creates a .vscode directory in every project folder I open. If yesterday you opened folder parent/ and today you opened parent/child/, you'll have to make changes appropriately. – Call

There is another file that looks similar to launch.json: workspace[x].code-workspace. It has a 'launch' key. Is this setting there similar to launch.json entries? – Desertion

Can I set the folder in the terminal to the folder the script was?. E.g. my last ps1 script line is set-location foo, I want the terminal to be in foo. – Desertion

This answer did not work for me, but this one did: https://mcmap.net/q/46594/-python-in-vscode-set-working-directory-to-python-file-39-s-path-everytime – Wineglass

What the heck is a launch.json file? Instructions make no sense. – Cordelia

@Benbob, the launch.json file controls the run/debug settings of your Visual Studio code project; more info on the launch.json file here – Berck

This current code can be fixed with this. github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/issues/18299 – Sternmost

@Kumasi not that I'm aware of, but you can make just make a template launch.json locally and copy that information in each time you're creating a new launch.json – Fardel

Make sure to debug by hitting F5 or from the left debug pane "Run and Debug" -> Start Debugging. The Debug button on the upper right did not work. – Zhdanov

When I clicked on the Debug button on my navigation panel it said "To customise Run and Debug create a launch.json file." Clicking on "create..." opened a dialog asking what language I was debugging. In my case I selected Python. – Gardal

TLDR; to run debugger from cwd, add "purpose":["debug-in-terminal"] in launch.json – Bucket

Thanks @Bucket , I wasn't aware of the "purpose" attribute in the launch.json file, this link describes it in more detail I don't know why the "purpose" attribute is not mentioned in the launch.json attributes documentation. I would edit my answer to mentioned "purpose", but I haven't tested it and I worry about comments like "Note: The purpose option can't be used to start the debugger through F5 or Run > Start Debugging" – Berck

Setting cwd alone didn't work for me, adding purpose did the trick. VSCode 1.80.1 on linux. – Hallvard

Thanks @RomanLuštrik , you said that and haneulkim said that, so I added "purpose": ["debug-in-terminal"] to the answer – Berck

For me the "purpose" isn't needed if you use 'F5' or use the "Run And Debug" sidebar, but is required if using the play button on the top-right of my window. Who knows why they arcane things like this that are counter-intuitive, but it seems to be regular for python :) – Cooney

Answer 3

Configure the cwd setting in launch.json as follows:

{
    "name": "Python",
    "type": "python",
    "pythonPath": "python", 
    ...
    "cwd": "<Path to the directory>"
    ...
}

Spanker

"cwd": "${fileDirname}" to run in current directory of open source file – Forbiddance

Answer 4

In some cases, it might be also useful to set the PYTHONPATH along with the workspaceFolder:

{
    "name": "Python: Current File",
    "type": "python",
    "request": "launch",
    "program": "${file}",
    "console": "integratedTerminal",
    "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
    "env": {
        "PYTHONPATH": "${cwd}"
    }
}

Perr

thanks, that helped. but I am not sure I understand why is that needed. Can you explain it please? – Minotaur

@HananShteingart, see Python documentation: docs.python.org/3/using/… – Headgear

"In some cases" – which cases? – Rillet

@Rillet in the caes where you have a module but you don't know what is happening in your vscode, this happened to me today, I was prepping an environment for fresh-techies where I needed to set up a module with main.py in the root and init.py in almost every sub-directory, at least this was my case. So we needed to run the file, but keep the env for the root as the project root directory – Summerly

PYTHONPATH is what you need to set if you are running a module (-m option) and you want the working directory to be different than the main module from which you're running. – Tagmeme

Answer 5

This setting helps me: (I am a Windows person)

{
  "type": "node",
  "request": "launch",
  "name": "Launch Program",
  "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}\\app\\js", // set directory here
  "program": "${workspaceFolder}\\app\\js\\server.js", // set start js here
}

Epistrophe

Answer 6

In order to make this work globally I had to do the following. Updating only the launch.json file only solves it in the folder where VSCode currently is open.

1. Locate the settings.json file.

   Windows %APPDATA%\Code\User\settings.json

   macOS $HOME/Library/Application\ Support/Code/User/settings.json

   Linux $HOME/.config/Code/User/settings.json

2. Update the file.

{
    // -- other default or custom settings from before

    "python.terminal.executeInFileDir": true,
    "launch": {
        "version": "0.2.0",
        "configurations": [
            {
                "name": "Python: Current File",
                "type": "python",
                "request": "launch",
                "program": "${file}",
                "console": "integratedTerminal",
                "justMyCode": true,
                "cwd": "${fileDirname}",
                "purpose": ["debug-in-terminal"]
            }
        ]}
}

More information here and here.

Rush

This worked. The additional line of "purpose": ["debug-in-terminal"] was the difference maker for me from the top answer. – Would

Answer 7

I am posting this sample configuration for people who use TypeScript on Node.js

in my project my Node.js server TypeScript files are located in folder Application_ts and the compiled js files are generated in the folder named Application

because when we run our application in debug mode or start it normally we should start from Application folder which contains the js files so bellow configuration run debug from root folder where my application_ts also exists and works perfect

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
        "type": "node",
        "request": "launch",
        "name": "Debug TypeScript in Node.js",
        "program": "${workspaceRoot}\\Application\\app.js",
        "cwd": "${workspaceRoot}\\Application",
        "protocol": "inspector",
        "outFiles": [],
        "sourceMaps": true
    },        
    {
        "type": "node",
        "request": "attach",
        "name": "Attach to Process",
        "port": 5858,
        "outFiles": [],
        "sourceMaps": true
    }
 ]
}

Connecticut

Answer 8

You can set up current working directory for debugged program using cwd argument in launch.json

Converted

Answer 9

To set current working directory to whatever file you are executing at the time:

File > Preferences > Settings > Python > Data Science > Execute in File Dir

Thanks brch: Python in VSCode: Set working directory to python file's path everytime

Kcal

Answer 10

It is important to set PYTHONPATH, you can set it on vscode:

{
    "name": "Python debug",
    "type": "python",
    "request": "launch",
    "program": "${file}",
    "console": "integratedTerminal",
    "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
    "env": {
        "PYTHONPATH": "${cwd}"
    }
}

Or just set it on terminal with:

$export PYTHONPATH=/home/user/myproject:$PYTHONPATH

Here /home/user/myproject is your project path.

Miscreance

Answer 11

I faced the same issue and noticed that when running the which python command in Terminal in Mac it shows me a different path to what I get when I run the which python command in vs code. And also that my file runs properly in the terminal when run using python filename.py

So I copied that path from the terminal and pasted it in VS code into Preferences->Settings->Extensions->Python->Default Interpreter Path and it worked. I hope this helps.

Bivouac

Answer 12

I use the "justMyCode = false" so I can also debug and jump into the functions that the main script calls.

{
    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.    
    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.    
    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387    
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Python: Current File",
            "type": "python",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${file}",
            "console": "integratedTerminal",
            "justMyCode": false,
            "cwd": "${fileDirname}"        }
    ]
}

Fennel

Answer 13

In my case, I kill debug terminal and re-run.

Jocelyn

This answer does not completely address the question. Please edit and update your answer with further details. – Womanhater