<key>, <metatable> -> inspect.KEY, inspect.METATABLE

README.md

@@ -139,10 +139,10 @@ local processed_item = function(item, path)
 * `path` is an array-like table built with all the keys that have been used to reach `item`, from the root.
   * For values, it is just a regular list of keys. For example, to reach the 1 in `{a = {b = 1}}`, the `path`
     will be `{'a', 'b'}`
-  * For keys, a special value called `<key>` is inserted. For example, to reach the `c` in `{a = {b = {c = 1}}}`,
-    the path will be `{'a', 'b', 'c', '<key>' }`
-  * For metatables, a special value called `<metatable>` is inserted. For `{a = {b = 1}}}`, the path
-    `{'a', 'b', '<metatable>'}` means "the metatable of the table `{b = 1}`".
+  * For keys, the special value `inspect.KEY` is inserted. For example, to reach the `c` in `{a = {b = {c = 1}}}`,
+    the path will be `{'a', 'b', 'c', inspect.KEY }`
+  * For metatables, the special value `inspect.METATABLE` is inserted. For `{a = {b = 1}}}`, the path
+    `{'a', {b = 1}, inspect.METATABLE}` means "the metatable of the table `{b = 1}`".
 * `processed_item` is the value returned by `options.process`. If it is equal to `item`, then the inspected
   table will look unchanged. If it is different, then the table will look different; most notably, if it's `nil`,
   the item will dissapear on the inspected table.

inspect.lua

@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ local inspect ={
   ]]
 }
 
+inspect.KEY       = setmetatable({}, {__tostring = function() return 'inspect.KEY' end})
+inspect.METATABLE = setmetatable({}, {__tostring = function() return 'inspect.METATABLE' end})
+
 -- Apostrophizes the string if it has quotes, but not aphostrophes
 -- Otherwise, it returns a regular quoted string
 local function smartQuote(str)
@@ -160,13 +163,13 @@ local function processRecursive(process, item, path)
     local processedKey
 
     for k,v in pairs(processed) do
-      processedKey = processRecursive(process, k, makePath(path, k, '<key>'))
+      processedKey = processRecursive(process, k, makePath(path, k, inspect.KEY))
       if processedKey ~= nil then
         processedCopy[processedKey] = processRecursive(process, v, makePath(path, processedKey))
       end
     end
 
-    local mt  = processRecursive(process, getmetatable(processed), makePath(path, '<metatable>'))
+    local mt  = processRecursive(process, getmetatable(processed), makePath(path, inspect.METATABLE))
     setmetatable(processedCopy, mt)
     processed = processedCopy
   end
@@ -227,7 +230,9 @@ function Inspector:putKey(k)
 end
 
 function Inspector:putTable(t)
-  if self:alreadyVisited(t) then
+  if t == inspect.KEY or t == inspect.METATABLE then
+    self:puts(tostring(t))
+  elseif self:alreadyVisited(t) then
     self:puts('<table ', self:getId(t), '>')
   elseif self.level >= self.depth then
     self:puts('{...}')

spec/inspect_spec.lua

@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ describe( 'inspect', function()
       it('nullifies metatables using their paths', function()
         local mt       = {'world'}
         local t        = setmetatable({'hello'}, mt)
-        local removeMt = function(item, path) if path[#path] ~= '<metatable>' then return item end end
+        local removeMt = function(item, path) if path[#path] ~= inspect.METATABLE then return item end end
         assert.equals(inspect(t, {process = removeMt}), '{ "hello" }')
       end)
 
@@ -249,7 +249,12 @@ describe( 'inspect', function()
         assert.equals(inspect(dict, {process = removeA}), '{\n  b = 2\n}')
       end)
 
-      it('marks key paths with <key> and metatables with <metatable>', function()
+      it('prints inspect.KEY & inspect.METATABLE', function()
+        local t = {inspect.KEY, inspect.METATABLE}
+        assert.equals(inspect(t), "{ inspect.KEY, inspect.METATABLE }")
+      end)
+
+      it('marks key paths with inspect.KEY and metatables with inspect.METATABLE', function()
         local t = { [{a=1}] = setmetatable({b=2}, {c=3}) }
 
         local items = {}
@@ -262,15 +267,15 @@ describe( 'inspect', function()
 
         assert.same(items, {
           {item = t,                           path = {}},
-          {item = {a=1},                       path = {{a=1}, '<key>'}},
-          {item = 'a',                         path = {{a=1}, '<key>', 'a', '<key>'}},
-          {item = 1,                           path = {{a=1}, '<key>', 'a'}},
+          {item = {a=1},                       path = {{a=1}, inspect.KEY}},
+          {item = 'a',                         path = {{a=1}, inspect.KEY, 'a', inspect.KEY}},
+          {item = 1,                           path = {{a=1}, inspect.KEY, 'a'}},
           {item = setmetatable({b=2}, {c=3}),  path = {{a=1}}},
-          {item = 'b',                         path = {{a=1}, 'b', '<key>'}},
+          {item = 'b',                         path = {{a=1}, 'b', inspect.KEY}},
           {item = 2,                           path = {{a=1}, 'b'}},
-          {item = {c=3},                       path = {{a=1}, '<metatable>'}},
-          {item = 'c',                         path = {{a=1}, '<metatable>', 'c', '<key>'}},
-          {item = 3,                           path = {{a=1}, '<metatable>', 'c'}}
+          {item = {c=3},                       path = {{a=1}, inspect.METATABLE}},
+          {item = 'c',                         path = {{a=1}, inspect.METATABLE, 'c', inspect.KEY}},
+          {item = 3,                           path = {{a=1}, inspect.METATABLE, 'c'}}
         })
 
       end)