EMACS-INSPECTOR

Overview

Inspector tool for Emacs Lisp objects.

Similar to inspectors available for Smalltalk and Common Lisp, but for Emacs Lisp.

Installation

This package is available from ELPA.

M-x package-install RET inspector RET

Usage

Invocation

• M-x inspector-inspect-expression to evaluate an elisp expression and inspect the result.
• M-x inspector-inspect-last-sexp to evaluate last sexp in current buffer and inspect the result.

Inside the inspector

• M-x inspector-pop bound to letter l, to navigate to previous object.
• M-x inspector-quit bound to letter q, to exit the inspector.

Also, M-x forward-button and M-x backward-button are conveniently bound to n and p. They can be used for fast navigation across the buttons that the inspector displays.

Finally, you can use M-x eval-expression bound to letter e, to evaluate an elisp expression using the object currently being inspected (it is bound to *).

From the Emacs debugger

When on an Emacs debugging backtrace, press letter i to inspect the pointed frame and its local variables.

When on edebug-mode, use C-c C-i for inspecting expressions in the debugger.

Tree Inspector

An inspector tool for Emacs Lisp objects that uses a tree view.

Works together with the "normal" inspector when it is loaded; when an object label is clicked on the tree, an inspector is opened on that object.

Install and usage

(require 'tree-inspector) to load.

Then start the inspector with either M-x tree-inspector-inspect-expression or M-x tree-inspector-inspect-last-sexp.