mirror of
https://github.com/kikito/inspect.lua.git
synced 2024-12-15 14:34:21 +00:00
138 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
138 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
h1. inspect.lua
|
|
|
|
This function transform any Lua table into a human-readable representation of that table.
|
|
|
|
The objective here is human understanding (i.e. for debugging), not serialization or compactness.
|
|
|
|
h1. Examples of use
|
|
|
|
"Array-like" tables are rendered horizontally:
|
|
|
|
<pre>inspect({1,2,3,4}) == "<1>{ 1, 2, 3, 4 }"</pre>
|
|
|
|
"dictionary-like" tables are rendered with one element per line:
|
|
|
|
<pre>inspect({a=1,b=2}) == [[<1>{
|
|
a = 1,
|
|
b = 2
|
|
}]]</pre>
|
|
|
|
The keys will be sorted alphanumerically when possible.
|
|
|
|
"Hybrid" tables will have the array part on the first line, and the dictionary part just below them:
|
|
|
|
<pre>
|
|
inspect({1,2,3,a=1,b=2}) == [[<1>{ 1, 2, 3,
|
|
a = 1,
|
|
b = 2
|
|
}]]
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
Tables can be nested, and will be indented with two spaces per level.
|
|
|
|
<pre>
|
|
inspect({a={b=2}}) = [[<1>{
|
|
a = <2>{
|
|
b = 2
|
|
}
|
|
}]]
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
By default, @inspect@ will stop rendering at a depth of 4 levels. When that point is reached, it will just return @{...}@ :
|
|
|
|
<pre>
|
|
local t5 = {a = {b = {c = {d = {e = 5}}}}}
|
|
inspect(t5) == [[<1>{
|
|
a = <2>{
|
|
b = <3>{
|
|
c = <4>{
|
|
d = {...}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}]]
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
You can increase/decrease the max depth with the second parameter:
|
|
|
|
<pre>
|
|
inspect(t5, 2) == [[<1>{
|
|
a = <2>{
|
|
b = {...}
|
|
}
|
|
}]])
|
|
|
|
inspect(t5, 7) == [[<1>{
|
|
a = <2>{
|
|
b = <3>{
|
|
c = <4>{
|
|
d = <5>{
|
|
e = 5
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}]])
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
Functions, userdata and threads are simply rendered as @<function x>@, @<userdata x>@ and @<thread x>@ respectively:
|
|
|
|
<pre>
|
|
inspect({ f = print, ud = some_user_data, thread = a_thread} ) == [[{
|
|
f = <function 1>,
|
|
u = <userdata 1>,
|
|
thread = <thread 1>
|
|
}]])
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
|
|
If the table has a metatable, inspect will include it at the end, in a special field called @<metatable>@:
|
|
|
|
<pre>
|
|
inspect(setmetatable({a=1}, {b=2}) == [[<1>{
|
|
a = 1
|
|
<metatable> = <2>{
|
|
b = 2
|
|
}
|
|
}]])
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
You may have noticed that all tables are preceded by an @<id>@ string. If a table has already been printed out, @inspect@ will just print @<table id>@ the second time it finds it. This will infinite loops.
|
|
|
|
<pre>
|
|
a = {1,2}
|
|
b = {3,4,a}
|
|
a[3] = b
|
|
inspect(a) = "<1>{ 1, 2, <2>{ 3, 4, <table 1> } }"
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
Notice how the second appearance of @a@ was replaced by @<table 1>@ in the string above.
|
|
|
|
h1. Gotchas / Warnings
|
|
|
|
This method is *not* appropiate for saving/restoring tables. It is ment to be used by the programmer mainly while debugging a program.
|
|
|
|
h1. Installation
|
|
|
|
Just copy the inspect.lua file somewhere in your projects (maybe inside a /lib/ folder) and require it accordingly.
|
|
|
|
Remember to store the value returned by require somewhere! (I suggest a local variable named inspect, altough others might like table.inspect)
|
|
|
|
<pre>
|
|
local inspect = require 'inspect'
|
|
-- or --
|
|
table.inspect = require 'inspect'
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
Also, make sure to read the license file; the text of that license file must appear somewhere in your projects' files.
|
|
|
|
h1. Specs
|
|
|
|
This project uses "telescope":https://github.com/norman/telescope for its specs. If you want to run the specs, you will have to install telescope first. Then just execute the following from the root inspect folder:
|
|
|
|
<pre>
|
|
tsc -f spec/*
|
|
</pre>
|
|
|
|
|