Enhance IceCream Debugger to Log Local Scope Variables

[nbys]

This PR enhances ic() when called without arguments, providing insights into the current execution context:
• Local variables in the caller’s scope are extracted using callFrame.f_locals.
• Special variables (e.g., name, file) are excluded from the output.
• Local scope variables are merged with the explicitly passed arguments for a comprehensive debugging output.

[nbys]

Hi @gruns, before I proceed with this PR, could you please let me know if you find this idea appropriate and suitable for your project?

[salabim]

Nice idea. But ...
Can't a user do more or less the same with

ic(locals())

?

[nbys]

@salabim As you can see, I removed built-ins and ic itself from the output, which makes it clearer. However, you’re right; there’s not much difference overall. To be honest, I expected ic() with no arguments to have this behavior by default—printing all local variables.

[salabim]

A much better solution is arguably something like
ic(locals) .
That makes it possible to use it anywhereand with all options.
I have implemented this in 'the other' Python debugger package. Have look at my repo to see how that's done there.

[nbys]

A much better solution is arguably something like ic(locals)

Thank you for your input @salabim ! While I understand the flexibility of using ic(locals()) to explicitly print all local variables, I believe that having ic() print the current scope by default provides a more intuitive debugging experience. It aligns with the expectation of having quick insights without additional boilerplate.

That said, I’m curious—are you actively maintaining or contributing to this project?

[salabim]

Please note that I didn't propose
ic(locals())
but
ic(locals)
, which allows a nice filtered output of pairs of local variables with their values.

No, I am not a maintainer of icecream as I don't agree with some fundamental design choices, particularly the API.
That's why I have developped and maintain my own debug/print/benchmark module, which supports indeed the locals (and globals) functionality. Feel free to see how I implemented it there.