icecream

library2.2.0pypypi✓ verified 24d ago

Never use print() to debug again: inspect variables, expressions, and program execution with a single, simple function call. IceCream is a Python library that makes debugging effortless and more readable. It's currently at version 2.2.0 and has an active release cadence with frequent minor updates.

testing

pip install icecream

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · ICECREAM

icecream

testingpythonv2.2.0

Install

2.4s avg

Import

481ms

Disk

26MB

Pass rate

10/ 10

Env Coverage10 / 10

glibc

3.9–3.13

musl

3.9–3.13

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v2.2.0 · pip install

no network on importno background threads

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

py 3.10–3.95 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 0.0s · import 0.482s · 27.2MB

glibc

py 3.10–3.95 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 2.4s · import 0.480s · 28MB

26MB installed

● package 26MB

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

✓ from icecream import ic

Import `ic` and use it to wrap variables or expressions for detailed output, including variable names, values, and context. Call `ic()` without arguments to log filename, line number, and function name. `ic.disable()` and `ic.enable()` can control output globally.

from icecream import ic def calculate_sum(a, b): result = a + b ic(a, b, result) # Inspect multiple variables return result my_num1 = 5 my_num2 = 10 ic(my_num1, my_num2) # Inspect individual variables final_sum = calculate_sum(my_num1, my_num2) ic(f"The final sum is: {final_sum}") # Inspect expressions and strings class MyClass: def __init__(self, name): self.name = name ic(self.name) obj = MyClass("IceCreamExample") ic.disable() # Disable all ic() output ic("This line will not be printed.") ic.enable() # Re-enable ic() output ic("This line will be printed again.")

ic --version

Debug

Known issues

breakingSupport for Python 3.8 was officially removed in IceCream v2.1.9. Prior to this, support for all Python versions before 3.8 (including Python 2) was dropped in v2.1.4.

fix

Ensure your project uses Python 3.9 or newer to maintain compatibility with recent IceCream versions.

affects: <2.1.9 for Python 3.8, <2.1.4 for Python 2/3.7 and older

gotchaCalling `ic.configureOutput()` without any arguments will raise a `TypeError` as of v2.1.3. This method expects at least one configuration parameter.

fix

Always pass a keyword argument to `configureOutput()`, e.g., `ic.configureOutput(includeContext=True)` or `ic.configureOutput(prefix='DBG| ')`.

affects: >=2.1.3

gotchaFor improved debugging in IDEs like VS Code, configure IceCream to output absolute file paths, making them clickable links. By default, `contextAbsPath` is `False`.

fix

Use `ic.configureOutput(includeContext=True, contextAbsPath=True)` to enable absolute path output.

affects: All versions supporting `configureOutput`

gotchaWhen dealing with complex objects like SymPy objects, earlier versions (before v2.1.6) could encounter `TypeError` during pretty-printing if dictionary keys were unorderable. This was fixed by implementing a fallback.

fix

Upgrade to IceCream v2.1.6 or newer to benefit from improved pretty-printing that gracefully handles unorderable keys. If upgrading is not possible, custom `argToStringFunction` may be needed.

affects: <2.1.6

gotchaTo avoid leaving debugging output in production, IceCream provides `ic.disable()` to globally silence all `ic()` calls without removing them from your code. This is a common and recommended practice.

fix

Call `ic.disable()` at the entry point of your application or conditionally based on an environment variable (`if os.environ.get('DEBUG') == 'false': ic.disable()`). Remember to `ic.enable()` if you want output again.

affects: All versions

Errors

Common errors & fixes

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'icecream'

The 'icecream' module is not installed in the Python environment.

fix

Install the module using 'pip install icecream'.

AttributeError: module 'icecream' has no attribute 'ic'

The 'ic' function is not imported from the 'icecream' module.

fix

Import the function with 'from icecream import ic'.

TypeError: ic() missing 1 required positional argument

The 'ic' function was called without any arguments.

fix

Ensure that 'ic()' is called with at least one argument, e.g., 'ic(variable)'.

NameError: name 'ic' is not defined

The 'ic' function from the 'icecream' library has not been explicitly imported into the current Python file or scope. Unlike 'print()', 'ic()' is not a built-in function by default and requires an import statement.

fix

Add 'from icecream import ic' at the top of your Python file where 'ic()' is used.

ImportError: cannot import name 'install' from 'icecream'

This error often occurs when attempting to import the 'install' function from the 'icecream' library, possibly due to an older or incompatible installation, or when following outdated documentation. While 'install()' exists to make 'ic' globally available, direct import of 'ic' is the more common and recommended approach for general use.

fix

For basic usage, use 'from icecream import ic' instead. If project-wide global availability is strictly required, ensure your 'icecream' installation is up-to-date and correctly installed (e.g., via 'pip install icecream'). Then, call 'install()' once at the application's entry point, typically after 'from icecream import install'.

Upgrade

Version history

2.2.0latest on PyPI · released Apr 3, 2026

Audit

Dependencies

executingrequiredUsed to reliably locate `ic()` calls in Python source for contextual output, as described in the official README.

Agent activity

5 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/gruns/icecream ↗

packagehttps://pypi.org/project/icecream/ ↗