# Irbtools [](http://badge.fury.io/rb/irbtools)
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Improvements for Ruby's IRB console, like colored output and a lot of
debugging and introspection methods. Unlike with PRY, you are still in your
normal IRB. It is designed to work out-of-the-box, so there is no reason to not
use it!
## Setup
$ gem install irbtools
IRB executes code in `~/.irbrc` on start-up. If the file does not exist, yet,
just create a new one. Add the following content:
require 'irbtools'
You also need to add irbtools to your project's Gemfile:
gem 'irbtools', require: 'irbtools/binding'
Then start IRB (with **Irbtools** loaded) from the console or directly from your code with:
binding.irb
If the `binding_of_caller` gem is available (e.g. see below), you can omit the `binding`:
irb
### More Improvements
Some suggested gems will not be installed to ensure wider general support. For
the full feature set, you can add **irbtools-more** and change your
`.irbrc` to:
require 'irbtools/more'
and edit your Gemfile to
gem 'irbtools-more', require: 'irbtools/binding'
### Included Gems and Libraries
#### IRB Improvements
* Colored output:
[wirb](https://github.com/janlelis/wirb/)
[fancy_irb](https://github.com/janlelis/fancy_irb)
* Custom views for specific objects:
[hirb](http://tagaholic.me/2009/03/13/hirb-irb-on-the-good-stuff.html)
* **(irbtools-more)** Correction suggestions for misspelled method/constant names:
[did_you_mean](https://github.com/yuki24/did_you_mean)
* **(irbtools-more)** Better tab-completion:
[bond](http://tagaholic.me/bond/)
#### Utils
* Useful IRB commands (see below):
[every_day_irb](https://github.com/janlelis/irbtools/tree/master/lib/every_day_irb.rb)
[debugging](https://github.com/janlelis/debugging)
[fileutils](http://ruby-doc.org/stdlib-2.2.1/libdoc/fileutils/rdoc/FileUtils.html)
* Clipboard Access:
[clipboard](https://github.com/janlelis/clipboard)
* Terminal colors:
[paint](https://github.com/janlelis/paint)
* Load an editor into your IRB session:
[interactive_editor](https://github.com/jberkel/interactive_editor)
#### Introspection
* Displays a method's source:
[code](https://github.com/janlelis/code)
* Access to *ri* docs:
[ori](https://github.com/dadooda/ori)
* Manipulate instance variables with ease:
[instance](https://github.com/rubyworks/instance/) (not loaded in Rails context)
* Platform information:
[ruby_version](https://github.com/janlelis/ruby_version)
[ruby_engine](https://github.com/janlelis/ruby_engine)
[os](https://github.com/rdp/os)
[ruby_info](https://github.com/janlelis/ruby_info)
* Improved method lookup path inspection:
[method_locator](https://github.com/ryanlecompte/method_locator)
* Finds methods that turn one value into another value:
[methodfinder](https://github.com/citizen428/methodfinder)
* **(irbtools-more)** Awesome lookup path inspection:
[looksee](https://github.com/oggy/looksee)
### Irbtools Methods
Besides improving IRB itself, you will get the following methods:
Method | Arguments | Description
------ | ---------- | -----------
`beep` | | Ring terminal bell.
`cat` | path | Read file contents.
`cd` | path = nil | Changes the directory. Can also be used in these forms: `~cd` (change to home directory), `-cd` (change to previous directory).
`clear` | | Clear the terminal.
`code` | object = self, method_name | Display the method source with syntax highlighting. Will also look up C methods if the **core_docs** gem is available.
`colorize` | string | Syntax highlight a Ruby string.
`copy` | string | Copy something to the clipboard.
`copy_input` | | Copy session history to the clipboard.
`copy_output` | | Copy session output history to the clipboard.
`ed` / `emacs` / `mate` / `mvim` / `nano` / `vi` / `vim` | filename = nil | Start an editor in the session context.
`engine` | | Show the Ruby engine.
`howtocall` | object = self, method_or_proc | Displays parameter names and types for a proc or method.
`info` | | List general information about the Ruby environment.
`ld` | file | Shortcut for `load lib.to_s + '.rb'`.
`ls` | path = "." | List directory content.
`mf` | object1, object2 | Find methods that turn one value into another value.
`mof` | object, depth = 0, grep = // | Print a method list, ordered by modules.
`os` | | Query operating system information.
`pa` | string, color | Print a string in the specified color.
`page` | what, options = {} | Page long content.
`paste` | | Paste clipboard content.
`q` | *args | Like `Kernel#p`, but prints results on one line, with different colors.
`ray` | path | Syntax highlight a Ruby file.
`re` | string, regexg, groups = nil | Assists you when matching regexes againts strings.
`reset!` | | Restart the current IRB session.
`rq` | lib | Shortcut for `require lib.to_s`. Use it like this: `rq:prime`.
`rr` | lib | Shortcut for `require_relative lib.to_s`.
`rrq` / `rerequire` | lib | Hack to remove a library from `$LOADED_FEATURES` and `require` it again.
`session_history` | number_of_lines = nil | Return a string of all commands issued in the current session.
`version` | | Show the Ruby version.
`wp` | inspect_string | Syntax-highlight a Ruby object.
`Object#instance` | | Proxy object to read and manipulate instance variables / run eval (not loaded in Rails context).
`Object#lp` | | **(irbtools-more)** Supercharged method introspection in IRB.
`Object#mlp` / `Object#method_lookup_path` | | Traverse an object's method lookup path to find all places where a method may be defined.
`Object#ri` | *args | Show ri documentation for this object or method.
### Advanced tweaking
See [CONFIGURE.md](https://github.com/janlelis/irbtools/blob/master/CONFIGURE.md).
### Troubleshooting: ANSI colors on Windows
Windows: ANSI support can be enabled via
[ansicon](https://github.com/adoxa/ansicon) or
[ConEmu](http://code.google.com/p/conemu-maximus5/).
### Troubleshooting: Clipboard not working on Linux
Clipboard support requires **xclip** or **xsel**. On ubuntu, do: `sudo apt-get
install xclip`
### Troubleshooting: Unicode causes wrong display widths
If you use double-width unicode characters, you will need to paste the
following snippet to your `~/.irbrc` file.
```ruby
Irbtools.replace_library_callback :fancy_irb do
FancyIrb.start east_asian_width: true
end
```
This setting is deactivated by default, because of performance issues.
### Hint: Debundle
If you do not want to add **Irbtools** to your project's Gemfile, you will need a
[debundle hack](https://github.com/janlelis/debundle.rb). Put it at the
beginning of your `~/.irbrc` file and you are fine (until it breaks).
### Hint: No ANSI / IRB extension
You can use Irbtools without colors/irb extensions. To do so, put this into `~/.irbrc`:
```ruby
require 'irbtools/non_fancy'
Irbtools.start
```
### Hint: Web Console
**Irbtools** works well together with the amazing
[web-console!](https://github.com/rails/web-console)
## J-_-L
Copyright (c) 2010-2015 Jan Lelis <http://janlelis.com> released under the MIT
license.