Node.js console.dir

[Fishrock123]

Node.js has implemented a console.dir(obj[, options]) since Node v0.1.101.

From what I can tell, it appears to be a more direct sort of proxy to util.format() allowing the passing of options rather than additional objects.

[domenic]

dir is tracked in #27 FWIW. Someone should really fix that... slapping "good first bug" on it doesn't seem to be working :)

[domfarolino]

This can be closed since dir has been added but I noticed browser implementations don't seem to support the optional options object that Node does. It also doesn't seem really applicable to browser implementations but I'm wondering if the API difference matters at all, or if we should at least make a note about it in the spec?

[domenic]

Hmm. This is a case where I think it doesn't hurt anyone to include special optional Node.js-only provisions. E.g. an optional argument for the options which anyone can use to customize the behavior of Printer, but in practice only Node.js uses this flexibility.

Based on the source code in Node plus the definition of Object.assign it looks like IDL of optional object? options would be equivalent. I believe such IDL cannot throw any exception, and I know it will not impact console.dir.length, so browsers that totally ignore the argument will be compliant.

Then we could modify step 2 to say something vague like "optionally using the properties of the options object to customize display". Or we could add a third arg to Printer, pass it through, and add a sentence about optionally using the third arg (if it is not undefined or null) to customize the display; that might be cleaner.

The only possible downside of this is that it constrains browsers from ever using the second argument in some different way. But that doesn't seem like a realistic fear.

[domfarolino]

Yes I favor the third arg over the method doing stuff that is in Printer's domain. The optional + nullable options object sounds good thanks for digging in. Going to reopen this until I take care of it.