Registry / serialization / unist-util-inspect

unist-util-inspect

library8.1.0jsnpmunverified

unist-util-inspect is a utility for pretty-printing Abstract Syntax Trees (ASTs) that conform to the unist specification. It provides a human-readable, terser output format specifically tailored for unist nodes, making it easier to debug and understand tree structures compared to verbose JSON representations. The current stable version is 8.1.0, actively maintained with incremental updates. Major releases tend to align with Node.js LTS versions, requiring Node.js 16+ since version 8.0.0 and having transitioned to ESM-only in version 7.0.0. The library aims for a focused utility approach within the broader unified ecosystem, prioritizing clear and concise tree visualization and offering a custom format instead of generic object serialization.

serialization observability

npm install unist-util-inspect

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · UNIST-UTIL-INSPECT

unist-util-inspect

serializationjavascriptv8.1.0

Install

—

Import

—

Disk

—

Pass rate

0/ 6

Env Coverage0 / 6

glibc

18–22

musl

18–22

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · npm install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

node 18–226 runs

build_error

glibc

node 18–226 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

inspect

✓ import { inspect } from 'unist-util-inspect'

✗ const inspect = require('unist-util-inspect')

The package is ESM-only since v7.0.0. CommonJS `require()` is not supported.

inspectColor

✓ import { inspectColor } from 'unist-util-inspect'

This function is deprecated since v8.1.0. Use `inspect(tree, { color: true })` instead.

Options

✓ import type { Options } from 'unist-util-inspect'

Type-only import for configuring inspection options. Available since v5.0.0.

Demonstrates how to import and use the `inspect` function with a sample unist tree, showing both colored and uncolored output options.

import { u } from 'unist-builder'; import { inspect } from 'unist-util-inspect'; const complexTree = u('root', [ u('paragraph', [ u('text', 'Hello, world!'), u('emphasis', [u('text', 'This is emphasized.')]) ]), u('list', { ordered: true }, [ u('listItem', [u('text', 'First item')]), u('listItem', [u('strong', [u('text', 'Second item with strong text')])]) ]), u('code', { lang: 'js' }, 'console.log("Code example");') ]); console.log('--- Uncolored Inspection ---'); console.log(inspect(complexTree, { color: false, showPositions: true })); console.log('\n--- Colored Inspection (default) ---'); console.log(inspect(complexTree)); // Demonstrates basic usage and optional parameters for output control.

Debug

Known issues

breakingVersion 8.0.0 and newer require Node.js 16 or later. Running on older Node.js versions will result in an error.

fix

Upgrade your Node.js environment to version 16 or a newer maintained release.

affects: >=8.0.0

breakingThe package transitioned to ESM-only with an `export` map in v8.0.0, building upon its initial ESM migration in v7.0.0. Direct CommonJS `require()` statements will fail.

fix

Ensure you are using `import` statements for all package imports. If your project is CommonJS, you may need to convert it to ESM or use a dynamic import `import('unist-util-inspect')`.

affects: >=7.0.0

deprecatedThe `inspectColor` and `inspectNoColor` functions are deprecated. They will be removed in a future major version.

fix

Replace `inspectColor(tree)` with `inspect(tree, { color: true })` and `inspectNoColor(tree)` with `inspect(tree, { color: false })`.

affects: >=8.1.0

breakingVersion 5.0.0 introduced TypeScript types. While beneficial, this could cause breaking changes for existing TypeScript projects if type definitions conflict or are not handled correctly.

fix

Review type declarations and ensure compatibility with your project's TypeScript configuration. Use `import type` for type-only imports where appropriate.

affects: >=5.0.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

ERR_REQUIRE_ESM

Attempting to use `require('unist-util-inspect')` in a CommonJS module after the package became ESM-only.

fix

Change your import statement to `import { inspect } from 'unist-util-inspect'` and ensure your project is configured for ESM, or use dynamic import `import('unist-util-inspect')`.

Error: This module requires Node.js 16 or later.

Running `unist-util-inspect` on a Node.js version older than 16.

fix

Update your Node.js environment to version 16 or newer. You can use `nvm` to manage Node.js versions easily.

Property 'inspectColor' does not exist on type 'typeof import("unist-util-inspect")'.

Using the deprecated `inspectColor` or `inspectNoColor` functions in a TypeScript project, potentially after they have been removed or type definitions have been updated.

fix

Migrate to using the `color` option with the main `inspect` function: `inspect(tree, { color: true })` for colored output and `inspect(tree, { color: false })` for uncolored output.

Upgrade

Version history

8.1.0latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

27 hits · last 30 days

node

OpenAI (training)

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/syntax-tree/unist-util-inspect ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/unist-util-inspect ↗