pry--pry/README.markdown

Pry
=============

(C) John Mair (banisterfiend) 2010

_attach an irb-like session to any object at runtime_

Pry is a simple Ruby REPL (Read-Eval-Print-Loop) that specializes in the interactive
manipulation of objects during the running of a program. It is primarily
designed for examining and manipulating large and complicated runtime state.

It is not based on the IRB codebase, and implements some unique REPL
commands such as `show_method` and `jump_to`

* Install the [gem](https://rubygems.org/gems/pry): `gem install pry`
* Read the [documentation](http://rdoc.info/github/banister/pry/master/file/README.markdown)
* See the [source code](http://github.com/banister/pry)

Example: Interacting with an object at runtime 
---------------------------------------

With the `Object#pry` method we can pry (open an irb-like session) on
an object. In the example below we open a Pry session for the `Test` class and execute a method and add
an instance variable. The current thread is halted for the duration of the session.

    require 'pry'
    
    class Test
      def self.hello() "hello world" end
    end

    Test.pry

    # Pry session begins on stdin
    Beginning Pry session for Test
    pry(Test)> self
    => Test
    pry(Test)> hello
    => "hello world"
    pry(Test)> @y = 20
    => 20
    pry(Test)> exit
    Ending Pry session for Test

    # program resumes here

If we now inspect the `Test` object we can see our changes have had
effect:

    Test.instance_variable_get(:@y) #=> 20

#### Alternative Syntax

You can also use the `Pry.start(obj)` or `pry(obj)` syntax to start a pry session on
`obj`. e.g

    Pry.start 5
    Beginning Pry session for 5
    pry(5)>

OR

    pry 6
    beginning Pry session for 6
    pry(6)>

Example: Pry sessions can nest arbitrarily deep so we can pry on objects inside objects:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here we will begin Pry at top-level, then pry on a class and then on
an instance variable inside that class:

    # Pry.start() without parameters begins a Pry session on top-level (main)
    Pry.start
    Beginning Pry session for main
    pry(main)> class Hello
    pry(main)*   @x = 20
    pry(main)* end
    => 20
    pry(main)> Hello.pry
    Beginning Pry session for Hello
    pry(Hello):1> instance_variables
    => [:@x]
    pry(Hello):1> @x.pry
    Beginning Pry session for 20
    pry(20:2)> self + 10
    => 30
    pry(20:2)> exit
    Ending Pry session for 20
    pry(Hello):1> exit
    Ending Pry session for Hello
    pry(main)> exit
    Ending Pry session for main

The number after the `:` in the pry prompt indicates the nesting
level. To display more information about nesting, use the `nesting`
command. E.g

    pry("friend":3)> nesting
    Nesting status:
    0. main (Pry top level)
    1. Hello
    2. 100
    3. "friend"
    => nil
    
We can then jump back to any of the previous nesting levels by using
the `jump_to` command:

    pry("friend":3)> jump_to 1
    Ending Pry session for "friend"
    Ending Pry session for 100
    => 100
    pry(Hello):1>

If we just want to go back one level of nesting we can of course 
use the `quit` or `exit` or `back` commands.

To break out of all levels of Pry nesting and return immediately to the
calling process use `exit_all`:

    pry("friend":3)> exit_all
    Ending Pry session for "friend"
    Ending Pry session for 100
    Ending Pry session for Hello
    Ending Pry session for main
    => main
    
    # program resumes here

Features and limitations
------------------------

Pry is an irb-like clone with an emphasis on interactively examining
and manipulating objects during the running of a program.

Its primary utility is probably in debugging, though it may have other
uses (such as implementing a quake-like console for games, for example). Here is a
list of Pry's features along with some of its limitations given at the
end.

####Features:

* Pry can be invoked at any time and on any object in the running program.
* Pry sessions can nest arbitrarily deeply -- to go back one level of nesting type 'exit' or 'quit' or 'back'
* Use `_` to recover last result.
* Use `_pry_` to reference the Pry instance managing the current session.
* Pry supports tab completion.
* Pry has multi-line support built in.
* Pry has special commands not found in many other Ruby REPLs: `show_method`, `show_doc`
`jump_to`, `ls`, `cd`, `cat`
* Pry gives good control over nested sessions (important when exploring complicated runtime state)
* Pry is not based on the IRB codebase.
* Pry supports significant customizability.
* Pry uses [RubyParser](https://github.com/seattlerb/ruby_parser) to
validate expressions in 1.8, and [Ripper](http://rdoc.info/docs/ruby-core/1.9.2/Ripper) for 1.9.
* Pry implements all the methods in the REPL chain separately: `Pry#r`
for reading; `Pry#re` for eval; `Pry#rep` for printing; and `Pry#repl`
for the loop (`Pry.start` simply wraps `Pry.new.repl`). You can
invoke any of these methods directly depending on exactly what aspect of the functionality you need.

####Limitations:

* Pry does not pretend to be a replacement for `irb`,
  and so does not have an executable. It is designed to be used by
  other programs, not on its own. For a full-featured `irb` replacement
  see [ripl](https://github.com/cldwalker/ripl)
* Pry's `show_method` and `show_doc` commands do not work
  in Ruby 1.8.
 
Commands
-----------

### The Pry API:

* `Pry.start()` Starts a Read-Eval-Print-Loop on the object it
receives as a parameter. In the case of no parameter it operates on
top-level (main). It can receive any object or a `Binding`
object as parameter. `Pry.start()` is implemented as `Pry.new.repl()`
* `obj.pry` and `pry(obj)` may also be used as alternative syntax to
`Pry.start(obj)`.

  However there are some differences. `obj.pry` opens
a Pry session on the receiver whereas `Pry.start` (with no parameter)
will start a Pry session on top-level. The other form of the `pry`
method: `pry(obj)` will also start a Pry session on its parameter.

  The `pry` method invoked by itself, with no explict receiver and no
parameter will start a Pry session on the implied receiver. It is
perhaps more useful to invoke it in this form `pry(binding)` or
`binding.pry` so as to get access to locals in the current context.

  Another difference is that `Pry.start()` accepts a second parameter
that is a hash of configuration options (discussed further, below).

* If, for some reason you do not want to 'loop' then use `Pry.new.rep()`; it
only performs the Read-Eval-Print section of the REPL - it ends the
session after just one line of input. It takes the same parameters as
`Pry#repl()` 
* Likewise `Pry#re()` only performs the Read-Eval section of the REPL,
it returns the result of the evaluation or an Exception object in
case of error. It also takes the same parameters as `Pry#repl()`
* Similarly `Pry#r()` only performs the Read section of the REPL, only
returning the Ruby expression (as a string). It takes the same parameters as all the others.

### Session commands

Pry supports a few commands inside the session itself. These commands are
not methods and must start at the beginning of a line, with no
whitespace in between.

If you want to access a method of the same name, prefix the invocation by whitespace.

* Typing `!` on a line by itself will refresh the REPL - useful for
  getting you out of a situation if the parsing process
  goes wrong.
* `status` shows status information about the current session.
* `help` shows the list of session commands with brief explanations.
* `exit` or `quit` or `back` will end the current Pry session and go
  back to the calling process or back one level of nesting (if there
  are nested sessions).
* `ls` returns a list of local variables and instance variables in the
  current scope
* `cat <var>` Calls `inspect` on `<var>`
* `cd <var>` Starts a `Pry` session on the variable <var>. E.g `cd @x`
* `show_method <methname>` Displays the sourcecode for the method
  <methname>. E.g `show_method hello`
* `show_imethod <methname>` Displays the sourcecode for the
  instance method <methname>. E.g `show_imethod goodbye`
* `show_doc <methname>` Displays comments for `<methname>`
* `show_idoc <methname>` Displays comments for instance
  method `<methname>`
* `exit_program` or `quit_program` will end the currently running
  program.
* `nesting` Shows Pry nesting information.
* `!pry` Starts a Pry session on the implied receiver; this can be
  used in the middle of an expression in multi-line input.
* `jump_to <nest_level>`  Unwinds the Pry stack (nesting level) until the appropriate nesting level is reached
  -- as per the output of `nesting`
* `exit_all` breaks out of all Pry nesting levels and returns to the
  calling process.
* You can type `Pry.start(obj)` or `obj.pry` to nest another Pry session within the
  current one with `obj` as the receiver of the new session. Very useful
  when exploring large or complicated runtime state.

Customizing Pry
---------------

Pry supports customization of the input, the output, the commands,
the hooks, the prompt, and 'print' (the "P" in REPL).

Global customization, which applies to all Pry sessions, is done
through invoking class accessors on the `Pry` class, the accessors
are:

* `Pry.input=`
* `Pry.output=`
* `Pry.commands=`
* `Pry.hooks=`
* `Pry.prompt=`
* `Pry.print=`

Local customization (applied to a single Pry session) is done by
passing config hash options to `Pry.start()` or to `Pry.new()`; also the
same accessors as described above for the `Pry` class also exist for a
Pry instance.

### Input:

For input Pry accepts any object that implements the `readline` method. This
includes `IO` objects, `StringIO`, `Readline` and custom objects. Pry
initially defaults to using `Readline` for input.

#### Example: Setting global input

Setting Pry's global input causes all subsequent Pry instances to use
this input by default:

    Pry.input = StringIO.new("@x = 10\nexit")
    Object.pry
    
    Object.instance_variable_get(:@x) #=> 10

The above will execute the code in the `StringIO`
non-interactively. It gets all the input it needs from the `StringIO`
and then exits the Pry session. Note it is important to end the
session with 'exit' if you are running non-interactively or the Pry
session will hang as it loops indefinitely awaiting new input.

#### Example: Setting input for a specific session

The settings for a specific session override the global settings
(discussed above). There are two ways to set input for a specific pry session: At the
point the session is started, or within the session itself:

Here is the first case:

    Pry.start(Object, :input => StringIO.new("@x = 10\nexit"))
    Object.instance_variable_get(:@x) #=> 10

If you want to set the input object within the session itself you use
the special `_pry_` local variable which represents the Pry instance
managing the current session; inside the session we type:

    _pry_.input = StringIO.new("@x = 10\nexit")

### Output

For output Pry accepts any object that implements the `puts` method. This
includes `IO` objects, `StringIO` and custom objects. Pry initially
defaults to using `$stdout` for output.

#### Example: Setting global output

Setting Pry's global output causes all subsequent Pry instances to use
this output by default:

    Pry.output = StringIO.new
    Object.pry
    
    Object.instance_variable_get(:@x) #=> 10

#### Example: Setting output for a specific session

As per Input, given above, we set the local output as follows:

Here is the first case:

    Pry.start(Object, :output => StringIO.new("@x = 10\nexit"))
    Object.instance_variable_get(:@x) #=> 10

And to change output from within the session itself:

    _pry_.output = StringIO.new

### Commands

Pry commands are not methods; they are commands that are intercepted
and executed before a Ruby eval takes place. Pry comes with a default
command set, but these commands can be augmented or overriden by
user-specified ones.

A valid Pry command object must inherit from
`Pry::CommandBase` and use the special command API:

#### Example: Defining a command object and setting it globally

    class MyCommands < Pry::CommandBase
      command "hello" do
        pattern /^hello\s*(.+)/
        describe "Output hello to the user."
        action do |opts|
          opts[:output].puts "hello #{opts[:captures].first}!"
        end
      end
    end

    Pry.commands = MyCommands

Then inside a pry session:

    (pry)> hello john
    hello john!
    => nil

#### Example: Using a command object in a specific session

As in the case of `input` and `output`:

At session start:

    Pry.start(self, :commands => MyCommands)

From within the session:    
    
    _pry_.commands = MyCommands

#### The command API

The command API is defined by the `Pry::CommandBase` class (hence why
all commands must inherit from it). The API works as follows:

The `command` method defines a new command, its parameter is the
name of the command. The block associated with `command` supports the
following methods, and defines the substance of the command:

* `describe(str)` - Used to describe the functionality of the command;
  used with `help`.
* `action(&block)` - Defines the action to perform when the command is invoked.
* `pattern(regex)` - If `pattern` is used then the command shall be
  invoked if user input matches this pattern (rather than just the
  command name). Any captures defined in the pattern can be accessed
  in the action block through the `opts[:captures]` hash parameter.

#### action block parameters

Note that in the example we are using `opts[:output]` for output; this is the output
object in use by the current pry session. Other hash values accesible
within an `action` block include:

* `opts[:output]` - The session's output object.
* `opts[:val]` - The line of input that invoked the command.
* `opts[:eval_string]` - The cumulative lines of input for multi-line input.
* `opts[:target]` - The object the Pry session is currently on.
* `opts[:captures]` - The array of regex captures generated by the command (if any).
* `opts[:nesting]` - Lowlevel session nesting information.
* `opts[:command_info]` - Lowlevel information about all Pry commands.

(see commands.rb for examples of how some of these options are used)

#### The `help` command

The `Pry::CommandBase` class automatically defines a `help` command
for you. Typing `help` in a Pry session will show a list of commands
to the user followed by their descriptions. Passing a parameter to
`help` with the command name will just return the description of that specific command.



Contact
-------

Problems or questions contact me at [github](http://github.com/banister)