---
title: display() function
description: >
  `display()` returns the Flux literal representation of any value as a string.
menu:
  flux_v0_ref:
    name: display
    parent: universe
    identifier: universe/display
weight: 101

introduced: 0.154.0
---

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`display()` returns the Flux literal representation of any value as a string.

Basic types are converted directly to a string.
Bytes types are represented as a string of lowercase hexadecimal characters prefixed with `0x`.
Composite types (arrays, dictionaries, and records) are represented in a syntax similar
to their equivalent Flux literal representation.

Note the following about the resulting string representation:
- It cannot always be parsed back into the original value.
- It may span multiple lines.
- It may change between Flux versions.

`display()` differs from `string()` in that `display()` recursively converts values inside
composite types to strings. `string()` does not operate on composite types.

##### Function type signature

```js
(v: A) => string
```

{{% caption %}}
For more information, see [Function type signatures](/flux/v0/function-type-signatures/).
{{% /caption %}}

## Parameters

### v
({{< req >}})
Value to convert for display.




## Examples

- [Display a value as part of a table](#display-a-value-as-part-of-a-table)
- [Display a record](#display-a-record)
- [Display an array](#display-an-array)
- [Display a dictionary](#display-a-dictionary)
- [Display bytes](#display-bytes)
- [Display a composite value](#display-a-composite-value)

### Display a value as part of a table

Use `array.from()` and `display()` to quickly observe any value.

```js
import "array"

array.from(
    rows: [
        {
            dict: display(v: ["a": 1, "b": 2]),
            record: display(v: {x: 1, y: 2}),
            array: display(v: [5, 6, 7]),
        },
    ],
)

```


### Display a record

```js
x = {a: 1, b: 2, c: 3}

display(v: x)// Returns {a: 1, b: 2, c: 3}


```


### Display an array

```js
x = [1, 2, 3]

display(v: x)// Returns [1, 2, 3]


```


### Display a dictionary

```js
x = ["a": 1, "b": 2, "c": 3]

display(v: x)// Returns [a: 1, b: 2, c: 3]


```


### Display bytes

```js
x = bytes(v: "abc")

display(v: x)// Returns 0x616263


```


### Display a composite value

```js
x = {bytes: bytes(v: "abc"), string: "str", array: [1, 2, 3], dict: ["a": 1, "b": 2, "c": 3]}

display(v: x)// Returns
// {
//    array: [1, 2, 3],
//    bytes: 0x616263,
//    dict: [a: 1, b: 2, c: 3],
//    string: str
// }


```