diff --git a/Smarty.addons.php b/Smarty.addons.php
index fe5cca90..aeaae0ad 100644
--- a/Smarty.addons.php
+++ b/Smarty.addons.php
@@ -695,6 +695,8 @@ function smarty_func_assign_debug_info($args, &$smarty_obj) {
 	
 	$included_templates = $smarty_obj->_smarty_debug_info;
 	
+	$smarty_obj->assign("_debug_expand",$smarty_obj->_smarty_debug_expand);	
+	
 	$smarty_obj->assign("_debug_keys",array_keys($assigned_vars));
 	$smarty_obj->assign("_debug_vals",array_values($assigned_vars));
 	
@@ -702,6 +704,34 @@ function smarty_func_assign_debug_info($args, &$smarty_obj) {
 	return true;
 }
 
+/*======================================================================*\
+    Function: smarty_func_debug_print_var
+    Purpose:  prints variable (or array) contents to the console
+\*======================================================================*/
+function smarty_mod_debug_print_var($var,$depth=0,$length=40) {
+	if(is_array($var)) {
+		$results = "<b>Array (".count($var).")</b>".'<br>\r'.$results;
+		foreach ($var as $curr_key => $curr_val) {
+			$return = smarty_mod_debug_print_var($curr_val,$depth+1);
+			$results .= str_repeat('&nbsp;',$depth*2)."<b>$curr_key</b> =&gt; $return".'<br>\r';
+		}
+		return $results;
+	} else {
+		if(empty($var)) {
+			return '<i>empty</i>';
+		}
+		if( strlen($var) > $length ) {
+			$results = substr($var,0,$length-3).'...';
+		} else {
+			$results = $var;
+		}
+		$results = preg_replace("![\r\t\n]!"," ",$results);
+		$results = htmlspecialchars($results);
+		return $results;
+	}
+}
+
+
 /*======================================================================*\
     Function: smarty_func_overlib_init
     Purpose:  initialize use of overlib
diff --git a/Smarty.class.php b/Smarty.class.php
index 5df51053..d8ffd230 100644
--- a/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/Smarty.class.php
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ class Smarty
                                     'count_characters'  => 'smarty_mod_count_characters',
                                     'count_words'       => 'smarty_mod_count_words',
                                     'count_sentences'   => 'smarty_mod_count_sentences',
-                                    'count_paragraphs'  => 'smarty_mod_count_paragraphs'
+                                    'count_paragraphs'  => 'smarty_mod_count_paragraphs',
+                                    'debug_print_var'   => 'smarty_mod_debug_print_var'
                                  );
 
     var $show_info_header      =   false;     // display HTML info header at top of page output
diff --git a/demo/templates/debug.tpl b/demo/templates/debug.tpl
index f303fb7f..0a7a42c2 100644
--- a/demo/templates/debug.tpl
+++ b/demo/templates/debug.tpl
@@ -15,13 +15,13 @@
 	{/section}
 	_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor=#cccccc><td colspan=2><b>assigned template variables:</b></td></tr>");
 	{section name=vars loop=$_debug_keys}
-		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor={if %vars.index% is even}#eeeeee{else}#fafafa{/if}><td><tt><font color=blue>{ldelim}${$_debug_keys[vars]}{rdelim}</font></td><td>{if is_array($_debug_vals[vars])}<font color=green>Array</font> ({$_debug_vals[vars]|@count}){elseif empty($_debug_vals[vars])}<i>no value</i>{else}<font color=red>{$_debug_vals[vars]|truncate:50|regex_replace:"![\r\t\n]!":" "|escape|default:"<i>empty</i>"}</font>{/if}</tt></td></tr>");
+		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor={if %vars.index% is even}#eeeeee{else}#fafafa{/if}><td valign=top><tt><font color=blue>{ldelim}${$_debug_keys[vars]}{rdelim}</font></tt></td><td><tt><font color=green>{$_debug_vals[vars]|@debug_print_var}</font></tt></td></tr>");
 	{sectionelse}
 		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor=#eeeeee><td colspan=2><tt><i>no template variables assigned</i></tt></td></tr>");	
 	{/section}
 	_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor=#cccccc><td colspan=2><b>assigned config file variables (outter template scope):</b></td></tr>");
 	{section name=config_vars loop=$_debug_config_keys}
-		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor={if %config_vars.index% is even}#eeeeee{else}#fafafa{/if}><td><tt><font color=maroon>{ldelim}#{$_debug_config_keys[config_vars]}#{rdelim}</font></td><td>{if is_array($_debug_config_vals[config_vars])}<font color=green>Array</font> ({$_debug_config_vals[config_vars]|@count}){elseif empty($_debug_config_vals[config_vars])}<i>no value</i>{else}<font color=red>{$_debug_config_vals[config_vars]|truncate:50|regex_replace:"![\r\t\n]!":" "|escape|default:"<i>empty</i>"}</font>{/if}</tt></td></tr>");
+		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor={if %config_vars.index% is even}#eeeeee{else}#fafafa{/if}><td valign=top><tt><font color=maroon>{ldelim}#{$_debug_config_keys[config_vars]}#{rdelim}</font></tt></td><td><tt><font color=green>{$_debug_config_vals[config_vars]|@debug_print_var}</font></tt></td></tr>");
 	{sectionelse}
 		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor=#eeeeee><td colspan=2><tt><i>no config vars assigned</i></tt></td></tr>");	
 	{/section}
diff --git a/libs/Smarty.class.php b/libs/Smarty.class.php
index 5df51053..d8ffd230 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty.class.php
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ class Smarty
                                     'count_characters'  => 'smarty_mod_count_characters',
                                     'count_words'       => 'smarty_mod_count_words',
                                     'count_sentences'   => 'smarty_mod_count_sentences',
-                                    'count_paragraphs'  => 'smarty_mod_count_paragraphs'
+                                    'count_paragraphs'  => 'smarty_mod_count_paragraphs',
+                                    'debug_print_var'   => 'smarty_mod_debug_print_var'
                                  );
 
     var $show_info_header      =   false;     // display HTML info header at top of page output
diff --git a/templates/debug.tpl b/templates/debug.tpl
index f303fb7f..0a7a42c2 100644
--- a/templates/debug.tpl
+++ b/templates/debug.tpl
@@ -15,13 +15,13 @@
 	{/section}
 	_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor=#cccccc><td colspan=2><b>assigned template variables:</b></td></tr>");
 	{section name=vars loop=$_debug_keys}
-		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor={if %vars.index% is even}#eeeeee{else}#fafafa{/if}><td><tt><font color=blue>{ldelim}${$_debug_keys[vars]}{rdelim}</font></td><td>{if is_array($_debug_vals[vars])}<font color=green>Array</font> ({$_debug_vals[vars]|@count}){elseif empty($_debug_vals[vars])}<i>no value</i>{else}<font color=red>{$_debug_vals[vars]|truncate:50|regex_replace:"![\r\t\n]!":" "|escape|default:"<i>empty</i>"}</font>{/if}</tt></td></tr>");
+		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor={if %vars.index% is even}#eeeeee{else}#fafafa{/if}><td valign=top><tt><font color=blue>{ldelim}${$_debug_keys[vars]}{rdelim}</font></tt></td><td><tt><font color=green>{$_debug_vals[vars]|@debug_print_var}</font></tt></td></tr>");
 	{sectionelse}
 		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor=#eeeeee><td colspan=2><tt><i>no template variables assigned</i></tt></td></tr>");	
 	{/section}
 	_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor=#cccccc><td colspan=2><b>assigned config file variables (outter template scope):</b></td></tr>");
 	{section name=config_vars loop=$_debug_config_keys}
-		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor={if %config_vars.index% is even}#eeeeee{else}#fafafa{/if}><td><tt><font color=maroon>{ldelim}#{$_debug_config_keys[config_vars]}#{rdelim}</font></td><td>{if is_array($_debug_config_vals[config_vars])}<font color=green>Array</font> ({$_debug_config_vals[config_vars]|@count}){elseif empty($_debug_config_vals[config_vars])}<i>no value</i>{else}<font color=red>{$_debug_config_vals[config_vars]|truncate:50|regex_replace:"![\r\t\n]!":" "|escape|default:"<i>empty</i>"}</font>{/if}</tt></td></tr>");
+		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor={if %config_vars.index% is even}#eeeeee{else}#fafafa{/if}><td valign=top><tt><font color=maroon>{ldelim}#{$_debug_config_keys[config_vars]}#{rdelim}</font></tt></td><td><tt><font color=green>{$_debug_config_vals[config_vars]|@debug_print_var}</font></tt></td></tr>");
 	{sectionelse}
 		_smarty_console.document.write("<tr bgcolor=#eeeeee><td colspan=2><tt><i>no config vars assigned</i></tt></td></tr>");	
 	{/section}