API: values

Methods that put something on a card. Every method here returns the card, so calls chain, unless it says otherwise. See the API reference for how cards work.

How values are shown

Values become a tree you can open in the viewer: scalars, arrays and objects with their properties and visibility. To keep cards fast and safe:

Limit	Default	Setting
Nesting depth	5 levels	max_depth
Items per array or object	100	max_items
Characters per string	10,000	max_string_length
Nodes per value	5,000	max_nodes

What is cut off is marked (+40 more). Values under keys named password, password_confirmation, secret, token, api_key, apikey, authorization or cookie (any case) are shown as ***; change the list with redact_keys. Set these in peep.php or config/peep.php (see Configuration).

Some objects are shown more usefully by casters: dates as 2026-10-24 09:15:02.123456 +06:00, exceptions with their message, closures with their signature, and enums as Status::Paid. Laravel adds models and collections (see Laravel methods). An object seen twice in one value is shown once, with a reference after that. Peep never calls your methods to show an object, unless you choose the var-dumper serializer (PEEP_SERIALIZER=var-dumper), which uses Symfony VarDumper's casters.

Integers larger than JavaScript can hold keep every digit, NAN and INF are shown as such, and strings that are not UTF-8 are shown as binary.

send

send(mixed ...$values): Peep

Shows one or more values on the card. peep($a, $b) calls it for you. Called again on a card that already shows values, it replaces them instead of adding more, so a card can show the latest state:

$progress = peep(0)->label('Progress');
foreach ($batches as $index => $batch) {
    $progress->send($index + 1);   // the card shows 1, then 2, then 3
}

Without values, it does nothing.

pass

pass(mixed $value): mixed

Shows the value and returns the value, not the card, so you can wrap an expression without changing the code around it:

return peep()->pass($cart->total());
$user = peep()->pass(User::find($id));

raw

raw(mixed ...$values): Peep

Shows values without casters: every object with its properties exactly as stored, without the date, exception, closure, enum or model views. Use it when a caster hides the property you need.

text

text(string $text): Peep

Shows text as written: spaces, tabs and line breaks are kept, and HTML in it is shown as text, never rendered.

peep()->text($process->getOutput());

html

html(string $html): Peep

Renders HTML in a sandboxed frame on the card. Scripts in it do not run and it cannot reach the viewer.

json

json(string $json): Peep

Shows a JSON string pretty-printed. A string that is not valid JSON is shown as it is, grayed out. Use it for a JSON body you already have as text.

toJson

toJson(mixed ...$values): Peep

Encodes each value with json_encode() and shows each as JSON, on its own block. Unlike send(), you see exactly what your API would return: JsonSerializable objects use their jsonSerialize(), and private properties are left out. A value that cannot be encoded shows the reason: json_encode() failed: Malformed UTF-8 characters.

peep()->toJson($apiPayload);

xml

xml(string $xml): Peep

Shows an XML string, indented.

table

table(array $rows, ?string $label = null): Peep

Shows an array as a table. When every item is itself an array or object (a list of rows), each key becomes a column, the first column holds the row's key, and a row without a key has an empty cell. Otherwise it is a two-column table of keys and values. $label is shown above it. The value limits above apply.

peep()->table([
    ['id' => 1, 'email' => '[email protected]'],
    ['id' => 2, 'email' => '[email protected]'],
], 'New users');

image

image(string $source): Peep

Shows an image. $source can be:

• a URL: https://..., http://... or //..., loaded by the viewer;
• a data URI: data:image/png;base64,...;
• a file path on the app's machine: read and embedded, up to 5 MB, with the type taken from the extension (png, jpg, gif, webp, svg, avif, bmp, ico; anything else is sent as PNG);
• bare base64 data, taken as PNG.

Anything else, or a file over 5 MB, shows the reason on the card instead of an image.

peep()->image(storage_path('app/avatars/18.png'));

file

file(string $path): Peep

Shows a file's contents, read on the app's machine. Only the first 1 MB is read, and the card says when the file is longer. Files that are not UTF-8 text are sent as binary. The path shown is mapped to your machine like the call site. A missing or unreadable file shows that on the card.

link and url

link(string $url, ?string $label = null): Peep
url(string $url, ?string $label = null): Peep

Shows a link, with $label as its text when given. The viewer only makes http:, https: and mailto: links clickable; anything else is shown as text. url() is the same method.

peep()->link(route('orders.show', $order), 'Open the order');

date

date(mixed $date): Peep

Shows a date. A DateTimeInterface (including Carbon) is shown to the microsecond with its UTC offset, such as 2026-10-24 09:15:02.123456 +06:00, and opens to its date, timezone name and unix timestamp. Other values are shown as they are; date() is send() with a name that says what you mean.

className

className(object $object): Peep

Shows the object's fully qualified class name.

invade

invade(object $object): Invader

Returns a helper, not the card: reading a property on it, or calling a method, gives you the private value or the result, and shows it on the card with the label Class::$property or Class::method().

$total = peep()->invade($order)->secretTotal;
$discount = peep()->invade($order)->calculateDiscount(10);

It reaches members declared in the object's own class, including private ones; private members of a parent class are not visible this way. The value is returned even while Peep is off.

phpinfo

phpinfo(string ...$keys): Peep

Without arguments, shows a table of the PHP version, SAPI, operating system, loaded php.ini, memory_limit, max_execution_time, error_reporting, display_errors, opcache.enable and the loaded extensions. With setting names, shows only those settings, and (unknown setting) for names PHP does not know.

peep()->phpinfo('memory_limit', 'upload_max_filesize', 'post_max_size');

separator

separator(): Peep

Adds a divider to the card, to separate groups of values.