Visual Studio Code: How debug Python script with arguments

Question

I’m using Visual Studio Code in order to debug a Python script.

Following this guide, I set up the argument in the launch.json file:

But when I press on Debug, it says that my argument is not recognized and Visual Studio Code says:

error: unrecognized arguments

As Visual Studio Code is using PowerShell, let’s execute the same file with the same argument:

So: the same file, same path, and same argument. In the terminal it is working, but not in Visual Studio Code.

Where am I wrong?

Asked By: Francesco Mantovani

||

Source

Answer 1

I think the –City and Auckland are used as a single argument. Maybe try separating them like so…

Single argument

"args": ["--city","Auckland"]

Multiple arguments and multiple values

Such as:

--key1 value1 value2 --key2 value3 value4

Just put them into the args list one by one in sequence:

"args": ["--key1", "value1", "value2", "--key2", "value3", "value4"]

Answered By: Pawan kumar

Answer 2

In Visual Studio, you can pass multiple parameter as convenient and natural way:

--trail=0 --g=0 --V="HO" --save_interval=10 --verbose=True

I just do not know why they will not support this in Visual Studio Code. To list arguments one by one is cumbersome and a bit silly. They just pass the arguments string to the Python parser, and things can be done easily.

Answered By: Chunde Huang

Answer 3

--key1 value1 value2 --key2 value3 value4

can be passed as

"args": ["--key1=value1", "value2", "--key2=value3", "value4"]

_{(Combining the two answers by Pawan Kumar and Chunde Huang.)}

Answered By: Sreeragh A R

Answer 4

File launch.json in the Python project folder path .vscode, tested in Visual Studio Code F5.

{
    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "name": "Python: Current File",
            "type": "python",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${file}",
            "console": "integratedTerminal",
            "args": ["c", "pwd"],
        }
    ]
}

Answered By: florian.isopp

Answer 5

Nobody has mentioned this yet, so I thought I’d offer a suggestion that may save you some minutes and certainly some sanity. I set up my launch.json file with an args array, but I couldn’t get my args to show up in the terminal when I ran the debugger.

All I had to do was quit and restart VS Code for some reason. Then it worked like a champ.

Answered By: ingernet

Answer 6

I also noticed that if you run the script by clicking on the debug button that looks like this
, then the arguments are not passed. However, using Run -> Start Debugging (or its shortcut F5) passed the arguments successfully.

Answered By: Sourya Dey

Answer 7

If clicking the "Debug python file" doesn’t pass the arguments then add "purpose": ["debug-in-terminal"] in the launch.json file

{"version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "name": "Python: Current File",
      "type": "python",
      "request": "launch",
      "program": "${file}",
      "console": "integratedTerminal",
      "justMyCode": true,
      "args": ["--experimentName", "Debugging"],
      "purpose": ["debug-in-terminal"]
    }
  ]
}

Answered By: Shashidhar Kudari

Answer 8

Combination of flags and arguments

python3 program.py --flag1 --flag2 --arg1=value1 --arg2=value2

launch.json:

"args": ["--flag1", "--flag2", "--arg1", "value1", "--arg2", "value2"]

Answered By: Valentin

Visual Studio Code: How debug Python script with arguments

Question:

Answers:

Single argument

Multiple arguments and multiple values