# Using an IDE [PyCharm] With GCP AI-Notebooks

URL: https://swiftlane.com/blog/using-an-ide-pycharm-with-gcp-ai-notebooks/
Published: March 25, 2020
Author: Narek Amirbekian
Categories: Engineering

> GCP AI-Notebooks provides an environment for prototyping and iterating over experimental code through JupyterLab.

When I first started using AI-Notebooks, I had one Jupyter panel open to a notebook and another to a python file that had my classes and methods. This approach was painful because the JupyterLab’s python editor is not the best IDE and I had to manually reload my module every time I made a change. Eventually, I came up with a solution that _**allows me to write python code locally in PyCharm (or any other IDE) and have my notebooks automatically pick up the changes**_. Even methods of class instances which were initialized before a change are updated automatically. The instructions below explain how to re-create this setup.

## Instructions

### Create a Python Package for Python Modules

These [instuctions](https://packaging.python.org/tutorials/packaging-projects/) explain how to setup a python package if you want to do it manually, however, I suggest using a generator like [this one](https://github.com/audreyr/cookiecutter-pypackage). Once your package is setup, you can put your code inside the package. Below I explain how to install the package from local source.

### Setup Rsync

Setup ssh using `gcloud` and then into SSH in you your notebook machine by running the code below. If you launch a new instance, you will have to re-run this part.

`# Setup SSH
gcloud compute config-ssh

# ssh into your notebook instance
ssh <notebook-name>.<notebook-region>.<gcp-project>

# In the SSH session
> mkdir ~/remote-repos

# To get the value for <gcp_ssh_username> below run this line
> whoami`

Setup a file called `~/.gcp_notebook_rc` with the following lines

`export NB_SERVER=<notebook-name>.<notebook-region>
export GCP_USER=<gcp_ssh_username>`

In your package repo add an shell script under `scripts/sync_to_nb.sh`

`set -e

source ~/.gcp_notebook_rc
rsync -avz <PATH-TO-LOCAL-PACKAGE> ${NB_SERVER}.swiftpass:/home/${GCP_USER}/remote-repos/  --filter=':- .gitignore'`

rsync will use the `.gitignore` file in the package root to determine what files to skip. If you see rsync syncing files it should not be syncing add that to the `.gitignore`. I suggest having all the lines below in your `.gitignore`.

`# Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files
__pycache__/
*.py[cod]
*$py.class

# C extensions
*.so

# Distribution / packaging
.Python
build/
develop-eggs/
dist/
downloads/
eggs/
.eggs/
lib/
lib64/
parts/
sdist/
var/
wheels/
*.egg-info/
.installed.cfg
*.egg

# Jupyter Notebook
.ipynb_checkpoints

# pyenv
.python-version
venv/

# mypy
.mypy_cache/

# Custom
.git
.idea
.DS_Store`

### Install the Rsync-ed Package From Local Source

To install your repo as a python package run the following from a terminal in Jupyter labs.

`sudo su - <<GCP_USER>>
pip install -e /home/<<GCP_USER>>/remote-repos/<<package-dir>>`

This will install your package in such a way that python will use your local source files, so if those files are updated, you do not have to re-install the package.

### Use `autoreload` to Automatically Refresh Packages

In order to have Jupyter refresh your package on each cell execution, put the following lines in the first cell of the notebook:

`%load_ext autoreload
%autoreload 2`

*Note: I’ve noticed that this extension only works with packaged modules, if you use it with just a local `.py` file it will not work.

### Getting Pycharm to Rsync Automatically

Having to manually rsync can be annoying. I found that I would often forget to do it and be annoyed that my code had not updated. I created a build configuration in PyCharm that runs my the rsync script automatically. I also changed the `Cmd+s` key-binding to run this build since PyCharm automatically saves files.

To add a build configuration go to `run -> Edit Configurations`

![Pycharm Run Config](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/9mj2xkc2/production/40cfc2da4413446caa1eb451b912df67884409ba-931x655.png?w=1600&fit=max&auto=format)