docs-v2/content/flux/v0/stdlib/universe/display.md

title	description	menu	weight	introduced
display() function	`display()` returns the Flux literal representation of any value as a string.	flux_v0_ref name parent identifier display universe universe/display	101	0.154.0

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

(v: A) => string

{{% caption %}} For more information, see Function type signatures. {{% /caption %}}

Parameters

v

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

Examples

• Display a value as part of a table
• Display a record
• Display an array
• Display a dictionary
• Display bytes
• Display a composite value

Display a value as part of a table

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

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

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

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

Display an array

x = [1, 2, 3]

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

Display a dictionary

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

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

Display bytes

x = bytes(v: "abc")

display(v: x)// Returns 0x616263

Display a composite value

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
// }