The new version of DebugPress is ready, and version 1.7 brings many new features, a most notable alternative library for pretty print replacement (third party library Kint).
One of the most important aspects of the plugin is the ability to print complex data (PHP objects and arrays most notably) in the form that allows easy access, the drill-down approach, and the object to take small space, with options to open and explore the content. So far, the plugin relied on a simpler component called PrettyPrint, and for the most part, it works well. This control has problems showing very complex structures (with nested and backreferenced data or complex dynamic assignments). In some cases, it doesn’t display everything, or in rare cases, fails and throws errors. These are basically, replacements for PHP default print_r and var_dump functions with many more features.
To remedy that, DebugPress now has the option to switch between pretty print libraries. Right now, you have default Pretty Print and the new library called Kint. Kint is a much more robust solution that so far was able to show everything I tried.
Objects displayed with Kint show more details; it can display documentation for methods or properties. It properly reflects the complex, hidden data. It also splits properties and methods into different tabs. The library works as a drop-in replacement, and the two main functions the plugin uses to pretty-print data have different versions depending on which print library you choose. To switch to the new library, open plugin Settings and find the option on the Advanced tab.
The new version brings many other improvements and fixes. There is a new panel, but since no plugins are using it right now, more about it is coming soon, including documentation of how it should be used.
Let me know what you think about the new update, and what more debug related features you would like to see in DebugPress.
