Debug Logging

Overview

This feature automatically transforms specific comment lines into debugging print statements during development. Comments in the form # DEBUG: log(<string>) will be converted to print(<string>). The goal is to facilitate debugging without permanently altering the codebase.

The # DEBUG: log function supports print functionality such as formatting with f-strings and printing comma separated values.

Activation

To enable this feature, set an environment variable OPTERYX_DEBUG.

Via the terminal:

export OPTERYX_DEBUG=1

or via code:

import os
os.environ["OPTERYX_DEBUG"] = "1"

or via a .env file

OPTERYX_DEBUG=1

Note

using a .env file requiores dotenv to be installed

Usage

Insert comments in your code following this template:

# DEBUG: log "Debug message."

When this feature is active, this will become:

print("Debug message.")

When this is not active, it will remain a comment.

Rationale

Debugging: Facilitates the addition of debugging log points without requiring code changes.
Code Cleanliness: Avoids cluttering the codebase with ifs for debugging statements.
Convenience: Controlled through an environment variable, allowing for easy toggling.

Caveats

Performance: There may be a slight performance impact during the import stage.
Complexity: The feature performs dynamic code modification, so developers should understand its implications.

Contribution

Contributions to this feature should align with the standard Opteryx development guidelines.