Ever want to know what the hell that python script is doing? Enter the Inspect Shell. Inspect Shell lets you print/alter globals and run functions without interrupting the running script. Now with auto-complete and command history (only on linux).

Inspect Shell is not a pdb-style debugger.

How to set up

Put inspect_shell.py in the directory of the script you want to inspect.

Add

import inspect_shell

to the top of that script.

That's it.

How to use

Run your script. Then run:

$ python inspect_shell.py

You'll now have an interactive shell to your script. Anything you do will affect the script on the fly. However, be mindful that Inspect Shell provides no locking when you're altering global namespace of your script. The best uses for Inspect Shell are for passive inspection of objects.

Example

$ rs:1234> print some_module
<module 'some_module' from '/whatever'>

$ rs:1234> print some_module.some_config_value
492

$ rs:1234> some_module.some_config_value = 292

...And your script keeps on running, but with whatever changes you made from the shell.