Define Python variables in launch.json as if using debug console

[sroener]

Hi,

I want to suggest an option in the launch.json for adding variables at startup, which don't have to be parsed by boilerplate CLI.
The idea comes from the observation that I can add/overwrite variables in a running debug session by using the debug console. Depending on the number of variables, this quickly becomes tedious and time consuming, so I thought it would be nice to have an option to automate this.

I tried to find a method to do this via the launch.json, but it seems that there are only options to either define environment variables (env) or command line arguments (args).

[brettcannon]

When you say "variable", do you mean "Python variables" in the running process? As you mentioned, the common way to do this is via environment variables and/or command-line arguments.

[sroener]

Yes, I mean "Python variables". I know that the common way is either parsing from command-line args or from environment variables, but sometimes I search for a bug in a module that neither uses environment variables nor comes with a CLI out of the box. In these cases I can define variables with help of the debug console as if I was defining them in a python repl.

My question/proposal is about an option to store variables in launch.json, which then get passed to whatever powers the debug console.

[brettcannon]

Moved to #16990