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Variables Pane for Python Console #17183
Description
Discussed in #16645
Originally posted by cbailiss July 10, 2021
I am attempting to use the REPL approach to develop Python, as essentially described here:
https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/python/editing#_run-selectionline-in-terminal-repl
i.e. highlighting subsets of lines, SHIFT+ENTER to execute in the Python Console in the Terminal pane.
This is iterative, writing code, executing, repeat. Variable values accumulate as work progresses.
Seeing variable values change whilst editing the code is instant feedback and very productive.
At present, there is no way to easily see variable values in the UI when working this way in VS Code.
PyCharm offers a very nice simple, compact and fast variable explorer as part of its Python Console
This pane also understands core Python data types well.
In VS Code, I am aware of the functionality of using # %% however this clutters code with comments and the UI is too much like Jupyter - i.e. another vertical pane, another console pane instead of existing Python Console, another input window, plus it renders the output like Jupyter rather than just focussing on variable values. SHIFT+ENTER still executes to the Console window. All-in-all, a jarring and cluttered experience.
Really, I want a variables explorer that is simpler, cleaner, faster and that is more aligned to working with the Python Console than Jupyter use cases. Without that, I am finding it difficult and frustrating to work with VS Code.
As an aside, I come from a background of almost 20 years working with C# (where I expect a compile-run-debug experience) and 5 years working with R. Modern Python development feels like to should support clean, simple, efficient REPL. R-Studio enables REPL with variable inspection for R (inc. when editing *.R files) in a really clean efficient way that VS Code doesn't seem to for *.py files.
I am aware this request is similar to microsoft/vscode-jupyter#3469 - hopefully I have explained my use reasoning above to avoid a repeat of the frustration present in that issue.
Activity
brettcannon commentedon Sep 1, 2021
Thanks for the feature request! We are going to give the community 60 days from when this issue was created to provide 5 👍 upvotes on the opening comment to gauge general interest in this idea. If there's enough upvotes then we will consider this feature request in our future planning. If there's unfortunately not enough upvotes then we will close this issue.
chomes commentedon Sep 17, 2021
I was quite suprised to not see this as a feature in VS code. I moved from pycharm to VS code cause I quite liked how it operated and it was a bit more simplistic but one of the main things I miss about pycharm is that variable inspector when you use the python terminal inside of it. It is EXTREMELY useful to be able to view dicts and along with other vars that can contain objects and view what attirbutes and their values they contain are without having to type it in the python terminal.
I used it quite heavily to help me develop my python skills in the early days and I think it would be a massive benefit to VS Code to enable this feature. Hopefully this can be added as a standard feature that would make such a massive help to a lot of people. It's literally the only thing that stops me giving VS code a 10/10 in surveys is due to this feature lacking.
alandema commentedon Sep 18, 2021
I'm addicted to the variable explorer from Spyder and was hopping to see something similar in VSCode. I've already commented in an equal important feature for VSCode (#17217 ). It should be something similar. Even the PyCharm variable explorer is not as good as the Spyder.
alandema commentedon Oct 27, 2021
Hello.
Any update on this?
brettcannon commentedon Oct 27, 2021
Alan (@alandema) it has not been 60 days from September 1, so this issue has not been triaged yet for community feedback.
brettcannon commentedon Nov 1, 2021
Thank you to everyone who upvoted this issue! Since the community showed interest in this feature request we will leave this issue open as something to consider implementing at some point in the future.
We do encourage people to continue 👍 this issue as it helps us prioritize our work based on what the community seems to want the most.
anthonykim1 commentedon Dec 9, 2024
This is implemented thanks to: #24094
Give it a try via adding
to your settings.json!
dgsjackson commentedon Dec 6, 2025
hi Anthony Kim (@anthonykim1) , im trying to use this and im not sure i understand what's been implemented. from the original request it sounds like the variables view should be linked to the python terminal console. I added the settings noted above but I only see REPL Variables view getting populated when I execute commands in the interactive jupyter REPL (IE when you use the Start Native Python REPL command). But i thought the point of the request was to allow the feature without having to use the jupyter-like interface. Am I doing something wrong or misunderstanding the feature