node console.log / util.inspect for nested Object / Array

Question

For the nested Object or Array

var obj = {
  foo:
  {
    foo:
    {
      foo:
      {
        foo:
        {
          foo:
          {
            foo: 'foo'
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
};
console.log(obj);
util.debug(obj);
util.debug(util.inspect(obj));

The console.log or util.debug + util.inspect

{ foo: { foo: { foo: [Object] } } }
DEBUG: [object Object]
DEBUG: { foo: { foo: { foo: [Object] } } }

Under a certain depth, it shows just [Object] with no further detail.

This is always annoying on debugging since I can't investigate the actual value.

Why does node (or V8) implements like this? and Is there any work-around?

Thanks.

EDIT: I received a suggestion

console.log(JSON.stringify(obj));

The result

{"foo":{"foo":{"foo":{"foo":{"foo":{"foo":"foo"}}}}}}

It sort of works, but obviously the whole is stringifyed, and probably I couldn't do this for all object output on debugging. Not generic method.

EDIT2:

solution:

console.log(util.inspect(obj,{ depth: null }));

output:

{ foo: { foo: { foo: { foo: { foo: { foo: 'foo' } } } } } }

cool. This is what I want!

Did you tried console.log(JSON.stringify(obj)) ? – Damian Krawczyk Feb 03 '14 at 10:11 — Damian Krawczyk, Feb 03 '14 at 10:11
Thanks, I edit my Q. please check it out. – Feb 03 '14 at 10:19 — , Feb 03 '14 at 10:19

Nitzan Shaked · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-03T14:55:36.430

17

util.inspect() takes a second options argument, where you can specify depth. The default is 2.

http://nodejs.org/api/util.html#util_util_inspect_object_options

So:

util = require('util');
var obj = { foo: { foo: { foo: { foo: { foo: { foo: 'foo' } } } } } };
console.log(util.inspect(obj, {depth:12}));

... yields:

{ foo: { foo: { foo: { foo: { foo: { foo: 'foo' } } } } } }

edited Feb 03 '14 at 14:55

answered Feb 03 '14 at 10:14

Nitzan Shaked

13,460
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Cool. Thank you very much. Your answer is checked! I would set the `depth` `null` though. I edited my Q. – Feb 03 '14 at 10:26
Be careful with `depth:null`, as many times data structures are circular and you'll end up in an endless loop. But if you printing something that you created go ahead :-) – Nitzan Shaked Feb 03 '14 at 10:27
The default depth is 2. – user568109 Feb 03 '14 at 14:54
1

True, my bad. I wrap this in my projects with 8. Fixed my answer. – Nitzan Shaked Feb 03 '14 at 14:55

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 03 '14 at 10:14

Use JSON.stringify:

var obj = {
  foo:
  {
    foo:
    {
      foo:
      {
        foo:
        {
          foo:
          {
            foo: 'foo'
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
};
console.log(JSON.stringify(obj));

Result:

{"foo":{"foo":{"foo":{"foo":{"foo":{"foo":"foo"}}}}}}

node console.log / util.inspect for nested Object / Array

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