The extract function copies the local variables from the current function frame into the existing Jupyter session. If the Python code crashes, you can enter the debugger with the %debug magic and then use the extract function to copy the variables from the function frame into the Jupyter session. The variables can now be properly inspected, e.g., plotted.

The original URI above contains more details how to use this post-mortem debugging.

def extract(source=None):
    """Copies the variables of the caller up to iPython. Useful for debugging.

    .. code-block:: python

        def f():
            x = 'hello world'
            extract()

        f() # raises an error

        print(x) # prints 'hello world'

    """
    import inspect
    import ctypes 

    if source is None:
        frames = inspect.stack()
        caller = frames[1].frame
        name, ls, gs = caller.f_code.co_name, caller.f_locals, caller.f_globals
    elif hasattr(source, '__func__'):
        func = source.__func__
        name, ls, gs = func.__qualname__, (func.__closure__ or {}), func.__globals__
    elif hasattr(source, '__init__'):
        func = source.__init__.__func__
        name, ls, gs = func.__qualname__, (func.__closure__ or {}), func.__globals__
    else:
        raise ValueError(f'Don\'t support source {source}')

    ipython = [f for f in inspect.stack() if f.filename.startswith('<ipython-input')][-1].frame

    ipython.f_locals.update({k: v for k, v in gs.items() if k[:2] != '__'})
    ipython.f_locals.update({k: v for k, v in ls.items() if k[:2] != '__'})

    # Magic call to make the updates to f_locals 'stick'.
    # More info: https://pydev.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/changing-locals-of-frame-frameflocals.html
    ctypes.pythonapi.PyFrame_LocalsToFast(ctypes.py_object(ipython), ctypes.c_int(0))

    message = 'Copied {}\'s variables to {}'.format(name, ipython.f_code.co_name)
    raise RuntimeError(message)

Post-Mortem Python Plotting