Understanding print_r()

[eluser]tim042829[/eluser]
I've written a little debug stub in vim for PHP variables.
From the variable name, it expands to the following:

Code:

echo "<pre>foo: " . print_r($foo) . "</pre>"; ## DEBUG GLOBAL

Real world example where I am inspecting index.php

Code:

$controller = BASEPATH.'codeigniter/CodeIgniter'.EXT;
echo "<pre>controller: " . print_r($controller) . "</pre>"; ## DEBUG GLOBAL

And the output is

/home/http/php/ci/system/codeigniter/CodeIgniter.php
controller: 1

Note that controller: 1 is on a second line and tends to be a little
confusing. The output that I am really looking for would be
controller: /home/http/php/ci/system/codeigniter/CodeIgniter.php
OR considering that I will be dealing with complex data structures:

controller: 1
/home/http/php/ci/system/codeigniter/CodeIgniter.php

How can I make that happen?
thanks
tim

[eluser]WanWizard[/eluser]
Check the PHP manual for print_r(). You'll notice that it prints (echo's) the parameter, and returns true.

[eluser]tim042829[/eluser]
[quote author="WanWizard" date="1289530227"]Check the PHP manual for print_r(). You'll notice that it prints (echo's) the parameter, and returns true.[/quote]
Are you referring to http://www.php.net/manual - link contained in the PHP man page?
If so, I have yet to have found documentation for print_r() at that site.
(but have found all kinds of other interesting and useful functions)

If not, could you point me directly to the documentation?
That would give me some more clues as to how find my way around.
thanks
tim

[eluser]WanWizard[/eluser]
Google "print_r". The first link returned is http://php.net/manual/en/function.print-r.php. Doesn't look to difficult.

[eluser]tim042829[/eluser]
Never mind. I found the documentation under Function Index.
As http://www.php.net/manual/en/indexes.php => http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.print-r.php

BTW: The expansion that works a little better for readability is

Code:

echo "<hr>foo: " ; print_r($foo); ## DEBUG GLOBAL

The vim code :coolsmile: for you vim users is

Code:

function! PHPGlobalDebug()
    let wrd=expand("<cWORD>")
    let cmd = "norm! ^dwaecho \"<hr>" . wrd . ": \" ; " . "print_r($" . wrd ."); ## DEBUG GLOBAL"
     exe cmd
endfunction

and the keymapping I use is

Code:

inoremap <C-d><C-g>  <Esc>:call PHPGlobalDebug()<CR>A

(Obfuscated is a calling function with a filetype switch)
BTW: How did I get to be Grad Student? Heck, I'm still in first grade.