= Inspector
:experimental:

The value inspector allows you to inspect and navigate the structure of data. While you can use
it for pretty much anything (e.g. primitive data types, var, ref types) it's most
useful when you're dealing with (deeply) nested collection-like data types (e.g. a vector of maps).

== Usage

Typing kbd:[C-c M-i] (`cider-inspect`) after some form in a source
buffer or the REPL will show you the structure of the form's result
in a new buffer. You can also use kbd:[C-u C-c M-i] to inspect
the result of the current top-level form and kbd:[C-u C-u C-c M-i] to
read an expression from the minibuffer and inspect its result.

Alternatively, after a regular eval command, you can inspect the last
evaluated value using `cider-inspect-last-result`. When an inspector
buffer is visible in the background, it is automatically updated with
the last result. This behavior can be controlled with the variable
`cider-auto-inspect-after-eval`.

TIP: The inspector can also be invoked in the middle of a debugging
session, see xref:debugging/debugger.adoc[here] for more details.

TIP: The current value of the debugger can be as sent as well to Clojure's
`tap>` facility. This can be used to integrate CIDER with various external
tools which render tapped values in a web browser, for example.

You'll have access to additional keybindings in the inspector buffer
(which is internally using `cider-inspector-mode`):

|===
| Keyboard shortcut | Command | Description

| kbd:[Tab] and kbd:[Shift-Tab] / kbd:[n] and kbd:[p]
| `cider-inspector-next-inspectable-object`
| Navigate inspectable sub-objects

| kbd:[f] and kbd:[b]
| `forward-char`, `backward-char`
| Navigate across characters on a line

| kbd:[Return]
| `cider-inspector-operate-on-point`
| Inspect sub-objects

| kbd:[l]
| `cider-inspector-pop`
| Pop to the parent object

| kbd:[g]
| `cider-inspector-refresh`
| Refresh the inspector (e.g. if viewing an atom/ref/agent)

| kbd:[SPC] or kbd:[Next] 
| `cider-inspector-next-page`
| Jump to next page in paginated view

| kbd:[M-SPC] or kbd:[Prev]
| `cider-inspector-prev-page`
| Jump to previous page in paginated view

| kbd:[s]
| `cider-inspector-set-page-size`
| Set a new page size in paginated view

| kbd:[c]
| `cider-inspector-set-max-coll-size`
| Set a new maximum size above which nested collections are truncated

| kbd:[C]
| `cider-inspector-set-max-nested-depth
| Set a new maximum nesting level above which the collections are truncated

| kbd:[a]
| `cider-inspector-set-max-atom-length`
| Set a new maximum length above which nested atoms (non-collections) are truncated

| kbd:[v]
| `cider-inspector-toggle-view-mode`
| Switch the rendering of the current value between `:normal` and `:object` view mode. In `:object` mode, any value is rendered as a plain Java object (by displaying its fields) instead of custom rendering rules that the Inspector applies in `:normal` mode.

| kbd:[d]
| `cider-inspector-def-current-val`
| Defines a var in the REPL namespace with current inspector value. If you tend to always choose the same name(s), you may want to set the `cider-inspector-preferred-var-names` customization option.

| kbd:[9]
| `cider-inspector-previous-sibling`
| Navigates to the previous sibling, within a sequential collection.

| kbd:[0]
| `cider-inspector-next-sibling`
| Navigates to the next sibling, within a sequential collection.

| kbd:[o]
| `cider-inspector-open-thing-at-point`
| Opens the url or file at point, if found.

| kbd:[:]
| `cider-inspect-expr-from-inspector`
| Prompts for a new value, rendering it in the Inspector.

| kbd:[t]
| `cider-inspector-tap-current-val`
| Performs `tap>` using the inspector's current value as it argument.

| kbd:[1]
| `cider-inspector-tap-at-point`
| Performs `tap>` using the inspector's current sub-value (the one at POINT) as it argument.

|===

== Use `enrich-classpath` for best results

If xref:config/basic_config.adoc#use-enrich-classpath[enrich-classpath] is activated, inspecting a Java class, method or field
will richly display its Java doc comment documentation at the bottom of the inspector.  

== Configuration

By default, navigation skips over values like nils, numbers and
keywords, which are not interesting to inspect. You can control this
behavior using the variable `cider-inspector-skip-uninteresting`.

The inspector buffer is automatically selected by default. You
can disable the auto selection with the variable
`cider-inspector-auto-select-buffer`.

You can set the amount of data shown by default with the variables
`cider-inspector-page-size`, `cider-inspector-max-coll-size`,
`cider-inspector-max-nested-depth`, and `cider-inspector-max-atom-length`. The
values can be adjusted for the current inspector buffer using the keybidings
listed in the table above.

If you enable `cider-inspector-fill-frame`, the inspector window fills its
frame.

When you define a var using kbd:[d], a var name can be suggested (default none).
You can customize this value via the `cider-inspector-preferred-var-names`
configuration option. Even after setting it, you are free to choose new names on
the fly, as you type. Most recent names will take priority in subsequent usages.

== Additional Resources

* https://practicalli.github.io/spacemacs/evaluating-clojure/inspect/[Using CIDER's Inspector in Spacemacs]
