Python: How to save current variables while debugging?

Question

I have a general debugging question in python (pycharm IDE if it matters)

Lets say I have code which is made up of 2 blocks:

Code block 1 (takes very         


        

Answer 1

You can certainly "save" the current variables at the end of running code block 1. Just store the variables in a dictionary and write that to a file after the first code block finishes.

Here's a very minimal example, since you provided no data:

import csv

# code block 1
for i in range(1000000): # meant to simulate a "long" time
    var1 = 2*i
    var2 = 4*i

# basically this is a log that keeps track of the values of these variables
to_save = {'var1': var1, 'var2': var2}

# write that dictionary to a file
with open('my_log.csv', 'w+') as f:
    w = csv.DictWriter(f, to_save.keys())
    w.writeheader()
    w.writerow(to_save)

# continue with code block 2
for i in range(1000):
    var1 = "BLAH"
    var2 = "BLAH BLAH"

Answer 2

I am unaware of a general solution to this problem. But an application specific solution can be constructed using various methods for serializing objects, but I would suggest pickle for this problem.

Like so much else, there is a small example already on SO.