# Visualizing in-memory objects?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/visualizing-in-memory-objects/145643>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [August 12, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/visualizing-in-memory-objects/145643 "2008-08-12T13:20:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Casimir](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@Casimir](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Casimir)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/visualizing-in-memory-objects/145643/1 "2008-08-12T13:20:51Z")

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Object persistence, transparent, is something that I much desire.

However, I have nowhere near enough understanding on how objects behave  
in memory.

To learn more I thought it would be cool to write something to visualize  
objects and references between the objects. I realize I can use a  
debugger to ‘dig in’, but I was thinking of something more graphical.

Do you think this pathway is possible? Any pointers? Or should I stick  
to learning debugging?

Casimir P.

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**Author:** ![Casimir](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@Casimir](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Casimir)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 1:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/visualizing-in-memory-objects/145643/2 "2008-08-12T13:36:40Z")

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On Tue, Aug 12, 2008 at 7:17 AM, Casimir [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)  
wrote:

> learning debugging?

Check out ograph.

[http://seattlerb.rubyforge.org/ograph/](http://seattlerb.rubyforge.org/ograph/)

HTH,  
Michael G.

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**Author:** ![Casimir](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@Casimir](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Casimir)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/visualizing-in-memory-objects/145643/3 "2008-08-12T16:13:35Z")

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2008/8/12 Michael G. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid):

> > Do you think this pathway is possible? Any pointers? Or should I stick to  
> > learning debugging?
> 
> Check out ograph.
> 
> [http://seattlerb.rubyforge.org/ograph/](http://seattlerb.rubyforge.org/ograph/)

Sounds promising. I didn’t know that, thanks for the link, Michael!

Casimir, another simpler alternative might be to use pp, i.e.

require ‘pp’  
…  
pp some\_object

Kind regards

robert