updated Pry.view_clip() to call #inspect on Numerics, Strings and Symbols, added tests for this. Also added new CLIPPED_PRINT printer (using Pry.view_clip), perhaps useful for enormous objects)

lib/pry.rb

@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ class Pry
     end
   end
 
+  # useful when playing with truly enormous objects
+  CLIPPED_PRINT = proc do |output, value|
+    output.puts "=> #{Pry.view_clip(value)}"
+  end
+
   # Will only show the first line of the backtrace
   DEFAULT_EXCEPTION_HANDLER = proc do |output, exception|
     output.puts "#{exception.class}: #{exception.message}"
@@ -53,22 +58,23 @@ class Pry
 
   # The default prompt; includes the target and nesting level
   DEFAULT_PROMPT = [
-    proc { |target_self, nest_level, _|
-      if nest_level == 0
-        "pry(#{Pry.view_clip(target_self)})> "
-      else
-        "pry(#{Pry.view_clip(target_self)}):#{nest_level}> "
-      end
-    },
+                    proc { |target_self, nest_level, _|
+                      if nest_level == 0
+                        "pry(#{Pry.view_clip(target_self)})> "
+                      else
+                        "pry(#{Pry.view_clip(target_self)}):#{nest_level}> "
+                      end
+                    },
 
-    proc { |target_self, nest_level, _|
-      if nest_level == 0
-        "pry(#{Pry.view_clip(target_self)})* "
-      else
-        "pry(#{Pry.view_clip(target_self)}):#{nest_level}* "
-      end
-    }
+                    proc { |target_self, nest_level, _|
+                      if nest_level == 0
+                        "pry(#{Pry.view_clip(target_self)})* "
+                      else
+                        "pry(#{Pry.view_clip(target_self)}):#{nest_level}* "
+                      end
+                    }
                    ]
+
   # Deal with the ^D key being pressed, different behaviour in
   # different cases:
   # 1) In an expression     - behave like `!` command   (clear input buffer)
@@ -92,22 +98,22 @@ class Pry
   SIMPLE_PROMPT = [proc { ">> " }, proc { " | " }]
 
   SHELL_PROMPT = [
-    proc { |target_self, _, _| "pry #{Pry.view_clip(target_self)}:#{Dir.pwd} $ " },
-    proc { |target_self, _, _| "pry #{Pry.view_clip(target_self)}:#{Dir.pwd} * " }
+                  proc { |target_self, _, _| "pry #{Pry.view_clip(target_self)}:#{Dir.pwd} $ " },
+                  proc { |target_self, _, _| "pry #{Pry.view_clip(target_self)}:#{Dir.pwd} * " }
                  ]
 
   # A prompt that includes the full object path as well as
   # input/output (_in_ and _out_) information. Good for navigation.
   NAV_PROMPT = [
-                 proc do |_, level, pry|
-                   tree = pry.binding_stack.map { |b| Pry.view_clip(b.eval("self")) }.join " / "
-                   "[#{pry.input_array.size}] (pry) #{tree}: #{level}> "
-                 end,
-                 proc do |_, level, pry|
-                   tree = pry.binding_stack.map { |b| Pry.view_clip(b.eval("self")) }.join " / "
-                   "[#{pry.input_array.size}] (pry) #{tree}: #{level}* "
-                 end,
-                ]
+                proc do |_, level, pry|
+                  tree = pry.binding_stack.map { |b| Pry.view_clip(b.eval("self")) }.join " / "
+                  "[#{pry.input_array.size}] (pry) #{tree}: #{level}> "
+                end,
+                proc do |_, level, pry|
+                  tree = pry.binding_stack.map { |b| Pry.view_clip(b.eval("self")) }.join " / "
+                  "[#{pry.input_array.size}] (pry) #{tree}: #{level}* "
+                end,
+               ]
 
 
   # As a REPL, we often want to catch any unexpected exceptions that may have
@@ -116,15 +122,15 @@ class Pry
   module RescuableException
     def self.===(exception)
       case exception
-      # Catch when the user hits ^C (Interrupt < SignalException), and assume
-      # that they just wanted to stop the in-progress command (just like bash etc.)
+        # Catch when the user hits ^C (Interrupt < SignalException), and assume
+        # that they just wanted to stop the in-progress command (just like bash etc.)
       when Interrupt
         true
-      # Don't catch signals (particularly not SIGTERM) as these are unlikely to be
-      # intended for pry itself. We should also make sure that Kernel#exit works.
+        # Don't catch signals (particularly not SIGTERM) as these are unlikely to be
+        # intended for pry itself. We should also make sure that Kernel#exit works.
       when SystemExit, SignalException
         false
-      # All other exceptions will be caught.
+        # All other exceptions will be caught.
       else
         true
       end

lib/pry/pry_class.rb

@@ -106,11 +106,13 @@ class Pry
     elsif TOPLEVEL_BINDING.eval('self') == obj
       # special case for 'main' object :)
       obj.inspect
+    elsif [String, Numeric, Symbol].any? { |v| v === obj } && obj.inspect.length <= max_length
+      obj.inspect
     else
       "#<#{obj.class}:%#x>" % (obj.object_id << 1)
     end
 
-  rescue
+  rescue RescuableException
     "unknown"
   end
 

test/test_pry.rb

@@ -1142,6 +1142,20 @@ describe Pry do
               end
             end
 
+            describe "given the a Numeric, String or Symbol object" do
+              [1, 2.0, -5, "hello", :test].each do |o|
+                it "returns the #inspect of the special-cased immediate object: #{o}" do
+                  Pry.view_clip(o, VC_MAX_LENGTH).should == o.inspect
+                end
+              end
+
+              # only testing with String here :)
+              it "returns #<> format of the special-cased immediate object if #inspect is longer than maximum" do
+                o = "o" * (VC_MAX_LENGTH + 1)
+                Pry.view_clip(o, VC_MAX_LENGTH).should =~ /String:0x.*?/
+              end
+            end
+
             describe "given an object with an #inspect string as long as the maximum specified" do
               it "returns the #<> format of the object (never use inspect)" do
                 o = Object.new