Intellij/Pycharm can't debug Python modules

Question

I use PyCharm/IntelliJ community editions from a wile to write and debug Python scripts, but now I'm trying to debug a Python module, and PyCharm does a wrong command line instruction parsing, causing an execution error, or maybe I'm making a bad configuration.

This is my run/debug configuration:

And this is executed when I run the module (no problems here):

/usr/bin/python3.4 -m histraw

But when I debug, this is the output in the IntelliJ console:

/usr/bin/python3.4 -m /opt/apps/pycharm/helpers/pydev/pydevd.py --multiproc --client 127.0.0.1 --port 57851 --file histraw
/usr/bin/python3.4: Error while finding spec for '/opt/apps/pycharm/helpers/pydev/pydevd.py' (<class 'ImportError'>: No module named '/opt/apps/pycharm/helpers/pydev/pydevd')

Process finished with exit code 1

As you can see, the parameters are wrong parsed, and after -m option a IntelliJ debug script is passed before the module name.

I also tried just put -m histraw in the Script field, but doesn't work, that field is only to put Python script paths, not modules.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

There is another way to make it work.You can write a python script to run your module.Then just configure PyCharm to run this script.

import sys
import os
import runpy
path = os.path.dirname(sys.modules[__name__].__file__)
path = os.path.join(path, '..')
sys.path.insert(0, path)
runpy.run_module('<your module name>', run_name="__main__",alter_sys=True)

Then the debugger works.

Answer 2

I found it easiest to create a bootstrap file (debuglaunch.py) with the following contents.

from {package} import {file with __main__}

if __name__ == '__main__':
    {file with __main__}.main()

For example, to launch locustio in the pycharm debugger, I created debuglaunch.py like this:

from locust import main

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main.main()

And configured pycharm as follows.

NOTE: I found I was not able to break into the debugger unless I added a breakpoint on main.main() . That may be specific to locustio, however.

Answer 3

In PyCharm 2019.1 (professional), I'm able to select run as module option under configurations, as below

Answer 4

The problem is already fixed since PyCharm 4.5.2. See corresponding issue in PyCharm tracker: https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/PY-15230