IceCream – Never use print() to debug again

Or use tests and/or a debugger. Which gives you all the listed benefits w/o an additional dependency.

Different tools for different cases. Debuggers are great for a snapshot in time but print statements are better for seeing the execution flow.

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slifin a day ago | parent [-]

As a profession we need to phase out point in time debuggers and replace them with reverse debuggers or "time travel" debuggers

	▲	____mr____ 21 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I think PIT debuggers have their use especially with regards to altering state mid run, but this is the first time I've heard of reverse debugging and it seems incredibly useful, especially for multithreaded software I'm often debugging

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pjmlp 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Yeah, the amount of wasted hours with 1960's teletype debugging.

Ah but servers and embedded, that is why telemetry, execution traces, and debugger controlled action points exist.

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RockRobotRock 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

>Do you ever use print() or log() to debug your code?

I haven't written my own code in months at this point...kind of depressing to think about

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_345 a day ago | parent | next [-]

i got half way through the readme for this project and had the same thought and got sad and just left the page

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benj111 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

So what do you actually do then?

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squirrellous 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

My first thought as well. Debugging is actually a decent use case of AI.

	▲	vitally3643 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		I have a board with a logic analyzer, debug/flash probe, PSU, and multimeter on my desk being driven and debugged all autonomously by the AI. While the automation and systems side of my brain is thrilled that all of this id automated and integrated, developer brain is sad

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awoimbee 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Debugging in python is already so easy with `print(f"{myvar=}")` and `breakpoint()`...

	▲	Hackbraten 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		This is the correct answer. `ic(foo(123))` can be written as `print(f'{foo(123)=}')` without depending on yet another third-party library which is not pulling its weight.

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smackeyacky 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I haven’t used print for debugging for ages. Now it’s all trace on azure and hope your bug ends up in the sampled data in whatever that stupid thing is called. App insights or some rubbish. Apparently a good old log file just isn’t good enough it has to be larded up with a query language. Grep was fine guys.

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rurban 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Cannot recommend icecream, way too slow. But the use case of logging shines with realtime systems, or concurrent apps. You won't be able to efficiently debug them without logging. I live in my debugger, but logging is mandatory for the big picture.

	▲	grun a day ago \| parent [-]
		hey! icecream author here. what/how/where is icecream too slow for your use case(s)? feedback is how good products become great

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trvv 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

It's neat how trivial it is to do this in C, only takes a couple of macros. https://github.com/trvv/_/blob/d4899741c4f35833b8e86d16e2163...

Looks like the project has a linked repo that appears to do a similar thing for C but it doesn't generically format the arguments.

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hankbond a day ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yeah this is a miss for me. I've never felt that this was a considerable source of friction. Certainly not enough to justify a dependency.

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grun a day ago | parent | prev | next [-]

hey! icecream author here. let me know your thoughts on what could make icecream more useful to you. feedback is how good products become great

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Borborygymus 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Remember COBOL's EXHIBIT?

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soizi 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

why another tool for that ? think standard with other team/company and use the same integrated ones.

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IshKebab 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

...use slightly fancier print() instead!

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imagent 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

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