How to use visual studio code to debug django

For VSCode (full disclosure, I'm one of the VSCode developers) try installing the Python extension to get started.

This documentation covers debugging Django. There should be a included debug configuration or you can add your own to the launch.json file:

{
    "name": "Django",
    "type": "python",
    "request": "launch",
    "stopOnEntry": false,
    "pythonPath": "${config.python.pythonPath}",
    "program": "${workspaceRoot}/manage.py",
    "args": [
        "runserver",
        "--no-color",
        "--noreload"
    ],
    "debugOptions": [
        "WaitOnAbnormalExit",
        "WaitOnNormalExit",
        "RedirectOutput",
        "DjangoDebugging"
    ]
}

The Python extension also provide many other features that you may find useful.

Hope that helps you get started.


VSCode has an official tutorial explaining this:

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/python/tutorial-django

There are several steps that need to be taken, which I don't all want to write out manually, since there are quite some steps, but I'll try to summarize what needs to be done:

The text below is basically a partial copy of the above tutorial, I am not claiming I came up with this myself.

1. Make sure to check out the prerequisites (use VS Code Python extension, install Python on local machine) link to docs

2. Use Python virtual environment link to docs

Besides using a Python virtual environment, you also need to select the Python executable inside this virtual environment as the interpreter in VS Code. This can be done like so:

In VS Code, open the Command Palette (View > Command Palette or (Ctrl+Shift+P)). Then select the Python: Select Interpreter

Then you select the Python executable inside your virtual environment, which you can recognize by it's path.

3. Create debugger lauch profile

as described here, in the documentation

upper left of the VS Code window)

4. Now you can start debugging

this part of the documentation will give you an introduction on how to do that