1. Core Debugger Features
Modern debuggers, whether built into an IDE like VS Code or standalone like GDB, share a standard set of features that allow you to "pause time" inside your program.
Breakpoints: Markers you place on a specific line of code to tell the program to pause execution there.
Step Over (F10): Executes the current line and moves to the next one. If the line is a function call, it runs the entire function and stops on the next line in the current file.
Step Into (F11): If the current line is a function call, the debugger "enters" that function so you can see what happens inside it.
Step Out (Shift+F11): Finishes the current function and returns to the line that called it.
Watch Windows: A dedicated panel where you can list specific variables to monitor how their values change as you step through the code.
Call Stack: A "breadth-crumb" trail showing the sequence of function calls that led to the current line.
2. Popular Debugging Tools (2025)
IDE-Integrated Debuggers
VS Code Debugger: The gold standard for versatility. It supports almost any language via extensions and features a "Debug Console" where you can test expressions while the code is paused.
PyCharm Debugger: Highly advanced for Python. It includes Visual Debugging, which shows variable values inline next to your code as you run it.
Chrome DevTools: The essential tool for web developers. It allows you to debug JavaScript directly in the browser, inspect the DOM, and monitor network requests.
Standalone & Specialized Tools
GDB (GNU Debugger): The industry standard for C and C++. It is primarily command-line based and incredibly powerful for low-level memory inspection.
Postman: The go-to tool for debugging APIs. It allows you to send requests to a server and inspect the response headers and data without writing a single line of frontend code.
Sentry / New Relic: Used for Production Debugging. These tools alert you when an error occurs for a real user and provide a "snapshot" of what went wrong.
3. Advanced Debugging Techniques
Conditional Breakpoints
Instead of stopping every time a loop runs, you can set a condition (e.g., i == 99). The debugger will only pause the program when that specific condition is met.
Time-Travel Debugging (Reverse Debugging)
Some modern tools (like rr for C++ or UDB) allow you to "rewind" the execution. If your program crashes, you can step backward from the crash to see exactly which variable went wrong.
Rubber Duck Debugging
A psychological technique where you explain your code, line-by-line, to an inanimate object (like a rubber duck). The act of explaining often reveals the logic error to you without using any software at all.
4. Comparison of Debugging Methods
| Method | Speed | Difficulty | Best For |
| Print Statements | Fast | Very Easy | Quick checks, simple logic. |
| IDE Debugger | Medium | Moderate | Complex logic, step-by-step flow. |
| Logging | Slow | Moderate | Production apps, long-term monitoring. |
| AI Assistants | Fast | Easy | Explaining errors, suggesting fixes. |
Would you like me to show you how to set up a "Launch Configuration" for debugging in VS Code, or should we look at how to interpret a Python Traceback error?
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