Question 1

How do I disable debug.cr in production?

Accepted Answer

Omit the DEBUG environment variable or set it to anything other than '1' during compilation and runtime. Alternatively, ensure Debug.enabled is false in your code to deactivate logging.

Question 2

What's the difference between debug.cr and using a full debugger in Crystal?

Accepted Answer

debug.cr is for quick, print-based inspection with minimal setup, providing context and colors, while a full debugger like in an IDE allows interactive breakpoints and step execution. debug.cr is faster for ad-hoc checks but less powerful for complex debugging.

Question 3

How can I change the colors in debug.cr output?

Accepted Answer

Use Debug.configure to set colors for expressions and values, or Debug::Logger.configure for severity colors, as detailed in the configuration section. For example, settings.colors[:expression] can be set to :magenta.

Question 4

Can I use debug.cr with my custom Crystal classes?

Accepted Answer

Yes, by overloading the #to_debug(io) method in your class, you can define custom formatting, as shown in the customization part of the README. This allows tailored debug output for specific data structures.

Question 5

Does debug.cr work with Crystal's built-in logging?

Accepted Answer

debug.cr has its own logging configuration via Debug::Logger, but it doesn't directly integrate with Crystal's standard logging library. You might need separate setup if you want to combine outputs, which can add overhead.

Question 6

What's the performance impact of using debug.cr?

Accepted Answer

When DEBUG is not set, debug calls are no-ops with zero runtime overhead. When enabled, there is a small performance cost for formatting and output, but it's minimal for debugging purposes and typically negligible.

Question 7

debug.cr or pp for debugging in Crystal?

Accepted Answer

debug.cr provides more context and customization than pp, such as file and line info and type annotations, but pp is simpler and built-in. Choose debug.cr for enhanced readability and pp for quick, standard output without setup.

debug.cr

What is debug.cr?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

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Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions