kintDumpVardata

kintDumpVardata is an internal helper function in the Kint PHP debugging library. It is used to convert a PHP variable into Kint’s internal data structure that underpins the framework’s dump rendering. The function itself is not typically called by end users; instead, higher-level functions like kintDumpVar or the kint() interface rely on it to prepare data for display.

The function operates by recursively traversing the input variable and collecting metadata about each element. For arrays, it iterates through keys and values; for objects, it enumerates properties, including visibility and declared class information. It also handles special types such as resources and closures, capturing type and basic content where appropriate. A key responsibility is to detect and manage recursive or circular references to prevent infinite loops, often by marking previously seen values and controlling traversal depth.

The output of kintDumpVardata is a structured representation that the Kint renderer can format into human-readable output, whether as HTML, CLI text, or other formats. This representation typically includes type information, values, property visibility, and hierarchical relationships that reflect nested structures. Because it is an internal function, the exact shape of the returned data can vary between Kint versions, but the goal remains the same: provide a comprehensive, traversable model of the variable for display.

In practice, developers interact with Kint through public APIs such as kintDumpVar or the kint() function. kintDumpVardata is part of the underlying machinery that enables those outputs, and is generally not modified or used directly in application code. See also Kint, kintDumpVar, and the library’s renderers.