python spyder - debug only current cell or selection?

Question

Similarly to these (very useful!) two functions:

"Run current cell" "Run selection or current line"

Is it possible to do this with debugging? I dont want to start from the top of my large script files every time I debug.

I'm using Spyder version 3.2.4

Answer 1

If you are using IPython as your interpreter, you can use the magic %pdb in IPython to automatically start pdb when an error is encountered.

Then you can "Run current cell" and break out into the debugger when you need to.

For example I have a simple script:

my_var = 4
raise ValueError

Now, in the IPython terminal I first run %pdb, and then I run my script.

In [4]: my_var = 4
   ...: raise ValueError
Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "<ipython-input-4-31dc119cb1f3>", line 2, in <module>
    raise ValueError

ValueError

> <ipython-input-4-31dc119cb1f3>(2)<module>()
      1 my_var = 4
----> 2 raise ValueError


ipdb> 

and I have the debugger available.