How to debug the C++ Kernel in VSCode from PyNEST program?

[Wang-Ling-jie]

I'm developing on the source of nest and followed the Install from source in a conda environment. The multi-area model I tested uses the PyNEST interface of the C++ NEST Kernel.

When I was debugging the program, the debugger just stepped over line 150 of the following picture without getting into the sli_push(args) function. But what I want to see is the complete function call chain in the NEST Kernel and how the program is executed in C++ Kernel.

I noted that the functions sli_push and sli_pop was loaded from the file pynestkernel.so, and I'm wondering how this file is generated during installation and how I can trace into the source code of this file.

[med-ayssar]

Hey @Wang-Ling-jie,

You need to adjust your VSCode launch.json file to attach to the current python process running your script.

{ 
        "name": "(gdb) Attach",
        "type": "cppdbg",
        "request": "attach",
        "program": "path/to/python/executable",
        "processId": "${command:pickProcess}",
        "MIMode": "gdb",
        "setupCommands": [
            {
                "description": "Enable pretty-printing for gdb",
                "text": "-enable-pretty-printing",
                "ignoreFailures": true
            }
        ]
    }

By clicking on F5 to start debugging, a window will appear in VSCode, you have to enter the process ID of your python script (the python process running your script).

[terhorstd]

Thanks for the good hint, @med-ayssar!

@jessica-mitchell, maybe we can put this setting into the docs of IDE settings?