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Librarybook Tools and Utilities

The document discusses several modules in the Python standard library that provide tools and utilities for tasks like disassembling bytecode, debugging code, profiling performance, and checking indentation consistency. It provides examples of using the dis, pdb, bdb, profile, pstats, and tabnanny modules.

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VeerubglrKumar
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74 views

Librarybook Tools and Utilities

The document discusses several modules in the Python standard library that provide tools and utilities for tasks like disassembling bytecode, debugging code, profiling performance, and checking indentation consistency. It provides examples of using the dis, pdb, bdb, profile, pstats, and tabnanny modules.

Uploaded by

VeerubglrKumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Python Standard Library: Tools and Utilities

Tools and Utilities


The standard library comes with a number of modules which can be used both as modules and as
command line utilities.

Python Standard Library


Copyright (c) 1999-2003 by Fredrik Lundh. All rights reserved.

11-1

Python Standard Library: Tools and Utilities

11-2

The dis module


This is the Python disassembler. It converts bytecodes to a format that is slightly more appropriate for
human consumption.
You can run the disassembler from the command line. It compiles the given script, and prints the
disassembled byte codes to the terminal.
$ dis.py hello.py
0 SET_LINENO
3
6
9
10
11
14

SET_LINENO
LOAD_CONST
PRINT_ITEM
PRINT_NEWLINE
LOAD_CONST
RETURN_VALUE

0
1
0 ('hello again, and welcome to the show')
1 (None)

You can also use dis as a module. The dis function takes a class, method, function, or code object as its
single argument.
Example: Using the dis module
# File:dis-example-1.py
import dis
def procedure():
print 'hello'
dis.dis(procedure)
0 SET_LINENO
3
6
9
10
11
14

SET_LINENO
LOAD_CONST
PRINT_ITEM
PRINT_NEWLINE
LOAD_CONST
RETURN_VALUE

3
4
1 ('hello')
0 (None)

Python Standard Library: Tools and Utilities

11-3

The pdb module


This is the standard Python debugger. It is based on the bdb debugger framework.
You can run the debugger from the command line. Type n (or next) to go to the next line, help to get a
list of available commands.
$ pdb.py hello.py
> hello.py(0)?()
(Pdb) n
> hello.py()
(Pdb) n
hello again, and welcome to the show
--Return-> hello.py(1)?()->None
(Pdb)

You can also start the debugger from inside a program.


Example: Using the pdb module
# File:pdb-example-1.py
import pdb
def test(n):
j=0
for i in range(n):
j=j+i
return n
db = pdb.Pdb()
db.runcall(test, 1)
> pdb-example-1.py(3)test()
-> def test(n):
(Pdb) s
> pdb-example-1.py(4)test()
-> j = 0
(Pdb) s
> pdb-example-1.py(5)test()
-> for i in range(n):
...

Python Standard Library: Tools and Utilities

The bdb module


This module provides a framework for debuggers. You can use this to create your own custom
debuggers.
To implement custom behavior, subclass the Bdb class, and override the user methods (which are
called whenever the debugger stops). To control the debugger, use the various set methods.
Example: Using the bdb module
# File:bdb-example-1.py
import bdb
import time
def spam(n):
j=0
for i in range(n):
j=j+i
return n
def egg(n):
spam(n)
spam(n)
spam(n)
spam(n)
def test(n):
egg(n)
class myDebugger(bdb.Bdb):
run = 0
def user_call(self, frame, args):
name = frame.f_code.co_name or "<unknown>"
print "call", name, args
self.set_continue() # continue
def user_line(self, frame):
if self.run:
self.run = 0
self.set_trace() # start tracing
else:
# arrived at breakpoint
name = frame.f_code.co_name or "<unknown>"
filename = self.canonic(frame.f_code.co_filename)
print "break at", filename, frame.f_lineno, "in", name
print "continue..."
self.set_continue() # continue to next breakpoint

11-4

Python Standard Library: Tools and Utilities

11-5

def user_return(self, frame, value):


name = frame.f_code.co_name or "<unknown>"
print "return from", name, value
print "continue..."
self.set_continue() # continue
def user_exception(self, frame, exception):
name = frame.f_code.co_name or "<unknown>"
print "exception in", name, exception
print "continue..."
self.set_continue() # continue
db = myDebugger()
db.run = 1
db.set_break("bdb-example-1.py", 7)
db.runcall(test, 1)
continue...
call egg None
call spam None
break at C:\ematter\librarybook\bdb-example-1.py
continue...
call spam None
break at C:\ematter\librarybook\bdb-example-1.py
continue...
call spam None
break at C:\ematter\librarybook\bdb-example-1.py
continue...
call spam None
break at C:\ematter\librarybook\bdb-example-1.py
continue...

7 in spam
7 in spam
7 in spam
7 in spam

Python Standard Library: Tools and Utilities

11-6

The profile module


This is the standard Python profiler.
Like the disassembler and the debugger, you can run the profiler from the command line.
$ profile.py hello.py
hello again, and welcome to the show
3 function calls in 0.785 CPU seconds
Ordered by: standard name
ncalls
1
1
1
0

tottime
0.001
0.001
0.783
0.000

percall
0.001
0.001
0.783

cumtime
0.002
0.001
0.785
0.000

percall
0.002
0.001
0.785

filename:lineno(function)
<string>:1(?)
hello.py:1(?)
profile:0(execfile('hello.py'))
profile:0(profiler)

It can also be used to profile part of a program.


Example: Using the profile module
# File:profile-example-1.py
import profile
def func1():
for i in range(1000):
pass
def func2():
for i in range(1000):
func1()
profile.run("func2()")
1003 function calls in 2.380 CPU seconds
Ordered by: standard name
ncalls tottime percall cumtime percall filename:lineno(function)
1
0.000
0.000
2.040
2.040 <string>:1(?)
1000
1.950
0.002
1.950
0.002 profile-example-1.py:3(func1)
1
0.090
0.090
2.040
2.040 profile-example-1.py:7(func2)
1
0.340
0.340
2.380
2.380 profile:0(func2())
0
0.000
0.000
profile:0(profiler)

You can modify the report to suit your needs, via the pstats module (see next page).

Python Standard Library: Tools and Utilities

11-7

The pstats module


This tool analyses data collected by the Python profiler.
The following example sorts the output in a non-standard order (internal time, name):
Example: Using the pstats module
# File:pstats-example-1.py
import pstats
import profile
def func1():
for i in range(1000):
pass
def func2():
for i in range(1000):
func1()
p = profile.Profile()
p.run("func2()")
s = pstats.Stats(p)
s.sort_stats("time", "name").print_stats()
1003 function calls in 1.574 CPU seconds
Ordered by: internal time, function name
ncalls tottime
1000
1.522
1
0.051
1
0.001
1
0.000
0 0.000

percall
0.002
0.051
0.001
0.000
0.000

cumtime percall filename:lineno(function)


1.522
0.002 pstats-example-1.py:4(func1)
1.573
1.573 pstats-example-1.py:8(func2)
1.574
1.574 profile:0(func2())
1.573
1.573 <string>:1(?)
profile:0(profiler)

Python Standard Library: Tools and Utilities

11-8

The tabnanny module


(New in 2.0) This module checks Python source files for ambigous indentation. If a file mixes tabs and
spaces in a way that the indentation isn't clear, no matter what tab size you're using, the nanny
complains.
In the badtabs.py file used in the following examples, the first line after the if statement uses four
spaces followed by a tab. The second uses spaces only.
$ tabnanny.py -v samples/badtabs.py
'samples/badtabs.py': *** Line 3: trouble in tab city! ***
offending line: '
print "world"\012'
indent not equal e.g. at tab sizes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9

Since the Python interpreter interprets a tab as eight spaces, the script will run correctly. It will also
display correctly, in any editor that assumes that a tab is either eight or four spaces. That's not enough
to fool the tab nanny, of course...
You can also use tabnanny from within a program.
Example: Using the tabnanny module
# File:tabnanny-example-1.py
import tabnanny
FILE = "samples/badtabs.py"
file = open(FILE)
for line in file.readlines():
print repr(line)
# let tabnanny look at it
tabnanny.check(FILE)
'if 1:\012'
' \011print "hello"\012'
'
print "world"\012'
samples/badtabs.py 3 '

print "world"\012'

(To capture the output, you can redirect sys.stdout to a StringIO object.)

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