dumpkit

Debugging library for Node.js inspired by Laravel's dump() and dd()

Zero dependencies · Zero config · Simple by design

Features

• dump() – Display structured values instantly
• dd() – Dump and die (exits process)
• inspect() – Get formatted string without printing
• trace() – Show stack trace with location
• measure() – Time sync/async execution
• Circular reference safe
• Shared reference detection ([Shared *N])
• Map, Set, Date, Error, RegExp support
• Colors with auto-detection (or force on/off)
• ESM + CommonJS

Installation

yarn add dumpkit

or

npm install dumpkit

Quick start

import { dump, dd, inspect, trace, measure } from 'dumpkit';

const user = { name: 'John', age: 30, tags: new Set(['admin', 'user']) };

dump(user);                           // Pretty print to console

const output = inspect(user);         // Get string without printing
console.log('Debug:', output);

trace('auth-checkpoint');             // Show where you are

measure('db-query', () => {
  // your code here
  return heavyOperation();
});

dd(user);                             // Dump and exit

API

dump(value, options?)

Prints a formatted representation of the value to stderr. Returns the value unchanged (for chaining).

dd(value, options?)

Prints the value and calls process.exit(1).

dp(value, options?)

Prints the value and pauses execution until the user presses ENTER. Returns a Promise.

inspect(value, options?)

Returns a formatted string without printing. Supports view option: 'flat', 'tree', 'table'.

Options:

• view?: 'flat' | 'tree' | 'table' – Visualisation style (default: 'flat')
• depth?: number – Maximum nesting depth (default: 30)
• colors?: boolean – Force colors (default: true in TTY)
• showHidden?: boolean – Show non-enumerable properties

trace(label?, options?)

Prints current stack trace with optional label and file:line location.

measure(label, fn, options?)

Measures execution time of a sync or async function. Returns { result, measurement }.

analyze(value, options?)

Returns a structured AnalysisNode for programmatic inspection of data structures.

Philosophy

dumpkit generates debug representations without caring where they go. The same core can be reused for terminal, HTTP responses, files, or custom tooling.

Documentation

• Português
• English

Author

Justino Contingo · GitHub

License

MIT