What is the difference between 'pdb.set_trace()' and breakpoint() in Python?

A Closer Look at 'pdb.set_trace()' and breakpoint() Functions in Python

'pdb.set_trace()' and 'breakpoint()' are both functions used for interactive debugging in Python. However, they have some differences in their behavior and compatibility with different Python versions:

pdb.set_trace():

• 'pdb.set_trace()' is part of the 'pdb' (Python Debugger) module and has been available since older Python versions.
• It is widely used for inserting breakpoints in the code to pause execution and enter the interactive debugging mode provided by 'pdb'.
• When execution reaches pdb.set_trace(), the Python interpreter pauses. With the 'pdb' command, you can inspect variables, step through code, and identify issues interactively.
• In older Python versions (Python 2.x and Python 3.6 or earlier), pdb.set_trace() is the common way to initiate interactive debugging.

Example:

Code:

# Example using pdb.set_trace()
import pdb
def test(a, b):
    try:
        result = a / b
        print("Result:", result)
    except ZeroDivisionError:
        # Inserting pdb.set_trace() to start debugging when ZeroDivisionError occurs
        pdb.set_trace()
        print("Error: Division by zero")
x = 10
y = 0
# Call the function with the provided arguments
test(x, y)

When we run the above script, and the function encounters a 'ZeroDivisionError', it will pause at the 'pdb.set_trace()' statement. At this point, we can interactively debug the code using the 'pdb' command to inspect variables and the stack trace.

breakpoint():

• breakpoint() is a built-in function introduced in Python 3.7 as a more convenient and standardized way to initiate interactive debugging.
• In addition to providing the same functionality as pdb.set_trace(), it is designed to be more user-friendly and consistent with other Python debugging tools.
• In Python 3.7 and later versions, breakpoint() is recommended over pdb.set_trace() for starting interactive debugging.
• Upon encountering breakpoint(), the execution pauses and enters interactive debugging mode, similar to pdb.set_trace().
• The advantage of 'breakpoint()' is that it is a language-level feature, meaning it works uniformly across different debuggers (e.g., pdb, ipdb, etc.), making it more flexible and user-friendly.

Example:

Code:

# Example using breakpoint()
def test(a, b):
    try:
        result = a / b
        print("Result:", result)
    except ZeroDivisionError:
        # Using breakpoint() to start debugging when ZeroDivisionError occurs
        breakpoint()
        print("Error: Division by zero")
x = 10
y = 0
# Call the function with the provided arguments
test(x, y)

In the above example, we have replaced 'pdb.set_trace()' with 'breakpoint()'. When the function encounters a 'ZeroDivisionError', execution pauses at the 'breakpoint()' statement. To inspect the code and variables interactively, you can use the same debugging commands as in the previous example.