pdbr

What it is and what it does

pdbr is a wrapper around Python's standard debugger that replaces plain-text output with colored, structured formatting via Rich. When you import pdbr or set PYTHONBREAKPOINT to pdbr.set_trace, it intercepts breakpoint() calls and drops you into an enhanced debugger session. It adds new commands like inspect (object introspection), vars (local variables as a table), log (recent log records from a ring buffer), whereami (runtime context snapshot), and diff (semantic comparison of two expressions). It also installs a global Rich traceback handler and a logging handler on the root logger to capture records for inspection.

The package is designed for developers who spend time in the debugger and want better visibility into state. It integrates with IPython, pytest, Django, Celery, and OpenTelemetry, auto-detecting framework context when available. Configuration is read from setup.cfg, allowing you to customize output style, history, and logging behavior. Because it only depends on pyreadline3 and rich, it has minimal friction to add to an existing project.

Use it for:

• Inspect object attributes and method signatures inline at a breakpoint without leaving the debugger
• View local variables as a formatted table or tree to quickly understand frame state
• Search for a phrase in the current source file and jump to matching lines during debugging
• Review log records captured just before a breakpoint to understand what happened in the application
• Compare two complex objects side-by-side to spot structural differences at a breakpoint
• Snapshot runtime context at a breakpoint for observability across frameworks

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

pdbr enhances Python's built-in debugger with colored output and new inspection commands powered by Rich, making breakpoint sessions more readable and interactive.

Yes. pdbr is actively maintained, has low install friction, no known vulnerabilities, and works across current Python versions. Its new debugger commands and colored output genuinely improve the debugging experience. The only caveat is that its license status is unclear, so verify licensing terms if you have strict redistribution requirements. For standard development use, it's a straightforward win.

Install

pdbr on PyPI

pip install pdbr

uv add pdbr

poetry add pdbr

Installing pdbr

Before you install

Low install friction: pure Python wheel with only two runtime dependencies (pyreadline3 and rich). Actively maintained with a release within the last 30 days and 349 repository stars.

Quickstart

pip install pdbr

import pdbr
breakpoint()  # drops into enhanced debugger

Requires Python 3.10 or later (supports up to 3.14)

Verify before relying

• Whether the package's unclear license status affects redistribution or commercial use
• Whether all new commands work equally well across all supported Python versions (3.10–3.14)

Package facts

Evidence: pdbr-0.9.8-py3-none-any.whl

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