06/12/2025 –, Main Stream Idioma: English
When beginners start learning Python, they often understand the idea of fixing errors but don’t fully connect it to the hands-on process of debugging. I learned this firsthand while building a production application, where the project’s size and complexity pushed my debugging skills to the limit.
In this talk, I will break down a beginner-friendly toolkit for finding and fixing bugs in Python. We’ll start with making sense of error messages and learning how to read a traceback without panicking. Attendees will explore how to use tools like print() and assert strategically, and why exceptions and logging can be lifesavers when things go wrong.
We will also tackle common beginner pitfalls, from harmless typos to sneaky logical errors, and share practical techniques for spotting them faster.
By the end, attendees will walk away not just knowing how to debug, but with the confidence to face errors head-on, whether working on a small script or a large project.
By using examples from my journey, including a production app where debugging became my daily workout, this talk aims to help attendees understand debugging and develop the skills to approach errors with confidence.
Breakdown of session:
Introduction - 2 mins
Quick story on how I learned debugging the hard way, why it’s a core dev skill, and what we’ll cover.What Debugging Means - 2 mins
More than “fixing errors” — debugging is a process of understanding what’s happening when code breaks, why it happened, and how to prevent it.Using Print Statements - 2 mins
How to use print() statements and how too much of it can make the codebase messy.Raising Exceptions - 2 mins
Writing programs to anticipate and recover from errors using raise to signal problems and try/except to handle them gracefully. It shows how this makes debugging faster and programs more robust.Logging - 2 mins
Why logging is important in larger projects. Quick setup with Python’sloggingmodule, choosing log levels, and using logs to trace bugs after deployment.Assertions - 2 mins
Spotting problems early with assert as a sanity check to make sure your code isn’t doing something wrongUsing a Debugger - 3 mins
A peek at Python built-in debugger pdb and IDE debuggers to step through code and see what’s happening.1 min – Wrap-up
Recap of debugging techniques, encouragement to practice regularly, and a mindset shift from “errors are scary” to “errors are clues.”.
Rahmat is a software engineer and DPG technical adviser at Mest Africa . She is an active member of Python Ghana and previously served as the communications co-lead for PyLadies Ghana. She contributes to open-source projects/communities such as Djangonaut Space, the Django accessibility working group, and the CHAOSS Africa community. Additionally, Rahmat leads programs for the Accra chapter of Women in Machine Learning and Data Science and the Everything Open Source community.