VS code does not debug python correctly

Question

I am trying to make an application with python. But when I try to run it in VS code, it throws an error with VS code as follows:

But when I run the code outside VS code, it works perfectly fine. see below:

The problem that I get is related to file directories. I can say that because it also happens with my audio files. I am not sure what is happening here or what I am doing wrong.

The weird thing about this is that when I enter my main folder's name that has the python script in the directory like this:

window.iconbitmap("cps/resources/icon/cps.ico")

It works in VS code only, but then it does not work outside VS code. I am super confused.

I am using python 3.9 as interpreters in both the cases.

Here is the complete code of the programm

import tkinter as tk                        
from tkinter import *
import ctypes
import os
from PIL import ImageTk
from pygame import mixer
ctypes.windll.shcore.SetProcessDpiAwareness(True)

memory = []

if os.path.isfile('history.txt'):
    with open ('history.txt', 'r') as f:
        hcps = f.read()
        hcps = hcps.split(',')
        for i in hcps:
            memory.append(i)
for space in range(len(memory)):
    if memory[space] == '':
        memory.remove('')

if os.path.isfile('HS.duffy'):
    with open('HS.duffy','r') as f:
        current_HS = f.read()
        print(current_HS)

root = tk.Tk()
root.iconbitmap("resources/icon/CPS.ico")
root.geometry("600x600")
root.minsize(600,600)
root.maxsize(600,600)
root.title("CPS Tester")
sloth = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file="resources/animals/sloth.png")
panda = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file="resources/animals/panda.png")
turtle = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file="resources/animals/turtle.png")
buffalo = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file="resources/animals/buffalo.png")
rabbit = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file="resources/animals/rabbit.png")
tiger = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file="resources/animals/tiger.png")
cheetah = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file="resources/animals/cheetah.png")
global counter
counter = 0
global clicks
clicks = 0
global pos
global mainButton

global seconds
seconds = 1
mixer.init()

def finish():
    mixer.music.set_volume(0.3)
    mixer.music.load("resources/music/dj.mp3")
    mixer.music.play()

def one():
    global seconds
    seconds = 1
    entry.config(state=NORMAL)
    entry.delete(0,END)
    entry.insert(0,1)
    entry.config(state=DISABLED)

def five():
    global seconds
    seconds = 5
    entry.config(state=NORMAL)
    entry.delete(0,END)
    entry.insert(0,5)
    entry.config(state=DISABLED)


def ten():
    global seconds
    seconds = 10
    entry.config(state=NORMAL)
    entry.delete(0,END)
    entry.insert(0,10)
    entry.config(state=DISABLED)


def again():
    global aga
    global Fra
    global counter
    global clicks
    counter = 0
    clicks = 0
    aga.destroy()
    Fra.destroy()
    mixer.music.fadeout(500)

def complete():
    global current_HS
    global aga
    global Fra
    global counter
    counter = 10000000000000000000000000
    aaa = (int(clicks))
    aaaa = int(aaa)/int(entry.get())
    if aaaa == 1:
        aaaa = 1
    if aaaa == 2:
        aaaa = 2
    if aaaa == 3:
        aaaa = 3
    if aaaa == 4:
        aaaa = 4
    if aaaa == 5:
        aaaa = 5
    if aaaa == 6:
        aaaa = 6
    if aaaa == 7:
        aaaa = 7
    if aaaa == 8:
        aaaa = 8
    if aaaa == 9:
        aaaa = 9
    if aaaa == 10:
        aaaa = 10
    if aaaa == 11:
        aaaa = 11
    if aaaa == 12:
        aaaa = 12
    if aaaa == 13:
        aaaa = 13
    if aaaa == 14:
        aaaa = 14
    if aaaa == 15:
        aaaa = 15
    if aaaa == 16:
        aaaa = 16
    if aaaa == 17:
        aaaa = 17
    la.config(text=f"CPS:-{aaaa}")
    Fra = tk.Frame(mainButton, bg="#4e5d84")
    Fra.place(relheight=0.8,relwidth=0.8,relx=0.1,rely=0.1)
    aga = tk.Button(Fra,text="TRYAGAIN!!",command=again,bg='red',fg='white',border=0,borderwidth=0,activebackground="red",activeforeground="white")
    aga.pack(fill=X,side=BOTTOM)
    la2 = tk.Label(Fra,bg="#4e5d84",fg="white",font="bangers 15")
    la2.place(rely=0.02,relx=0.15,relwidth=0.7,relheight=0.2)
    la1 = tk.Label(Fra,bg="#4e5d84",text=f"CPS:-{aaaa}",fg="white",font="bangers 15")
    la1.place(rely=0.17,relx=0.37,relwidth=0.23,relheight=0.1)
    la4 = tk.Label(Fra,bg="#4e5d84",)
    la4.place(rely=0.3,relx=0.1,relwidth=0.8,relheight=0.6)
    if aaaa >0 and aaaa <= 3:
        la2.config(text="You are a Sloth")
        la4.config(image=sloth)
    elif aaaa > 3 and aaaa <= 5:
        la2.config(text="You are a Turtle")
        la4.config(image=turtle)
    elif aaaa > 5 and aaaa <= 6:
        la2.config(text="You are a Panda")
        la4.config(image=panda)
    elif aaaa == 7:
        la2.config(text="You are a buffalo")
        la4.config(image=buffalo)
    elif aaaa == 8:
        la2.config(text="You are a Rabbit")
        la4.config(image=rabbit)
    elif aaaa == 9:
        la2.config(text="You are a Tiger")
        la4.config(image=tiger)
    elif aaaa >= 10:
        la2.config(text="You are a Cheetah")
        la4.config(image=cheetah)
        finish()
    if float(aaaa) > float(current_HS) and float(aaaa) < 10:
        mixer.music.load("resources/music/highscore.wav")
        mixer.music.set_volume(1)
        mixer.music.play()
        current_HS = aaaa
        highscore.config(text=f"highscore:-{aaaa}")
    elif float(aaaa) > float(current_HS):
        highscore.config(text=f"highscore:-{aaaa}")
    if float(aaaa) < 10 and float(aaaa) < float(current_HS):
        mixer.music.load("resources/music/complete.wav")
        mixer.music.set_volume(1)
        mixer.music.play()


    memory.append(aaaa)

def stop():
    seconds = int(entry.get()) * 1000
    if seconds > 0:
        mainButton.after(seconds,lambda: complete())
    else:
        pass

def run():
    global clicks
    clicks += 1
    if clicks == 1:
        stop()
    else:
        pass

def start(event):
    global mainButton
    global counter
    global pos
    if counter == 0:
        counter = 1
        run()
        pos=(event.x)
        pos1=(event.y)
        mainButton.create_oval((pos-11),(pos1-11),(pos+11),(pos1+11),outline="lime",width=2,)
        mainButton.after(30,lambda: mainButton.create_oval((pos-20),(pos1-20),(pos+20),(pos1+20),outline="lime",width=2))
        mainButton.after(62,lambda: mainButton.delete('all'))

    elif counter < 10000000000000000000000000:
        run()
        pos=(event.x)
        pos1=(event.y)
        mainButton.create_oval((pos-11),(pos1-11),(pos+11),(pos1+11),outline="lime",width=2,)
        mainButton.after(30,lambda: mainButton.create_oval((pos-20),(pos1-20),(pos+20),(pos1+20),outline="lime",width=2))
        mainButton.after(62,lambda: mainButton.delete('all'))
        counter += 1

canvas = tk.Canvas(root,bg="red",highlightthickness=0)
canvas.place(relheight=1,relwidth=1)

la = tk.Label(canvas,bg="red",text="CPS:-",fg="white")
la.place(relx=0.35)

entry = tk.Entry(canvas,bg="#262626",fg="cyan",state=DISABLED,disabledbackground="#262626",disabledforeground="cyan")
entry.place(relx=0.64,rely=0.01)
highscore = tk.Label(canvas,bg="red",fg="white",text="highscore:-",font="courier 10")
highscore.place(relx=0.64,rely=0.058,relheight=0.043,)
entry.config(state=NORMAL)
entry.insert(0,1)
entry.config(state=DISABLED)
highscore.config(text=f"highscore:-{current_HS}")

classs = tk.Label(canvas,bg="red",fg="white",text="Duration:")
classs.place(relx=0.01,rely=0.04)

ones = tk.Button(canvas, bg="red",fg="white",text="1 second",command=one,activeforeground="white",activebackground="red")
ones.place(relx=0.15,rely=0.045,relheight=0.05)
fives = tk.Button(canvas, bg="red",fg="white",text="5 second",command=five,activeforeground="white",activebackground="red")
fives.place(relx=0.3,rely=0.045,relheight=0.05)
tens = tk.Button(canvas, bg="red",fg="white",text="10 second",command=ten,activeforeground="white",activebackground="red")
tens.place(relx=0.45,rely=0.045,relheight=0.05)
mainButton = tk.Canvas(canvas,bg="black", border=0, borderwidth=0,)
mainButton.place(relheight=0.9,relwidth=1,rely=0.1)

mainButton.bind("<Button-1>", start)
root.mainloop()
print(memory)

with open('history.txt','w+') as f:
    for cps in reversed(memory):
        if cps == '':
            pass
            print('dady-yankee')
        else:
            f.write(str(cps) + ',')
for cps in memory:
    if float(cps) > float(current_HS):
        with open ('HS.duffy','w') as f:
            f.write(str(cps))

Answer 1

I think you're right that the problem is related to file directories. It's because all file paths in your code are relative to the current working directory (CWD), so will only be correct when that's the root folder. Apparently this is not the case when you run the code from the VS Code IDE. To fix things you need to make it work regardless of what the CWD is, and to do that you will need to determine their absolute paths at runtime.

I don't really know what your folder structure is, so have assumed it's something like the following:

CPS
│   CPStest.py
│   history.txt
│
└───resources
    ├───animals
    │       panda.png
    │       sloth.png
    │       turtle.png
    │       ...
    │
    └───icon
            CPS.ico

If this is correct, then you can determine the absolute file paths at runtime by extracting the root folder's path from the built-in __file__ variable which contains the path to currently executing script. Once you have the path to this root folder, it's relatively easy to determine the paths to the other files.

In the example code below I'm using the pathlib module to do everything because it's object-oriented and makes doing the steps required very intuitive and readable.

import os
from pathlib import Path
from PIL import ImageTk
import tkinter as tk


# Determine paths based on location of this script.
main_folder_path = Path(__file__).resolve().parent
resources_path = main_folder_path / "resources"
icon_path = resources_path / "icon"
animals_path = resources_path / "animals"

if (main_folder_path / "history.txt").exists():
    print("history.txt exists")
    # (main_folder_path / "history.txt").open('r') as f:
    #     ...

root = tk.Tk()
root.iconbitmap(icon_path / "CPS.ico")
root.geometry("600x600")
root.minsize(600, 600)
root.maxsize(600, 600)
root.title("CPS Tester")

sloth = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file=animals_path / "sloth.png")
panda = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file=animals_path / "panda.png")
turtle = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file=animals_path / "turtle.png")
buffalo = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file=animals_path / "buffalo.png")
rabbit = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file=animals_path / "rabbit.png")
tiger = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file=animals_path / "tiger.png")
cheetah = ImageTk.PhotoImage(file=animals_path / "cheetah.png")
...