helixml / run-python-helix-app

Testing and Debugging

This section outlines how to verify and troubleshoot the application’s behavior.

Testing

The application relies on unit tests for validating its functionality. Each component is isolated and tested independently to ensure correctness. Unit tests are written in Python and reside in the tests directory. To run the tests, execute the following command from the project’s root directory:

pytest

Debugging

The run-python-helix-app application provides multiple options for debugging.

1. Print Statements

The most basic debugging technique is to add print statements to the code. This allows you to inspect the values of variables at various points in the code execution.

Example:

def my_function(x, y):
              print(f"x: {x}, y: {y}")
              result = x + y
              print(f"result: {result}")
              return result

2. Logging

The logging module in Python provides a more structured and flexible approach to logging. This allows you to control the level of detail and destination of logs.

Example:

import logging
          
          logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
          
          def my_function(x, y):
              logging.debug(f"x: {x}, y: {y}")
              result = x + y
              logging.debug(f"result: {result}")
              return result

3. Python Debugger (pdb)

The pdb module provides a powerful interactive debugger that allows you to step through code line by line, inspect variables, and execute arbitrary code.

Example:

import pdb
          
          def my_function(x, y):
              pdb.set_trace()
              result = x + y
              return result

4. IDE Debugger

Most Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) offer integrated debuggers that provide features such as breakpoints, variable inspection, and call stack visualization.

5. Helix Debugger

The Helix editor offers a built-in debugger, which is more efficient and has more features. The Helix debugger requires installing the helix-debug plugin.

Example:

  1. Install the helix-debug plugin.
  2. Start the debugger from the helix-debug menu.
  3. Set breakpoints by clicking in the gutter beside the line numbers.
  4. Run the application.
  5. The debugger will pause at the breakpoints.
  6. Use the debugger controls to step through code, inspect variables, and evaluate expressions.

6. Using Logs

The run-python-helix-app application also provides the ability to write logs to a file for troubleshooting. To enable logging, set the LOG_FILE environment variable to the desired file path. The logs will include debug information about the application’s execution.

Example:

LOG_FILE=/tmp/app.log run-python-helix-app

Note: The logs provide valuable information during troubleshooting, but they may contain sensitive data. Consider security implications when choosing a location for log files.