# debug_print_var Returns the value of the given variable in a human-readable format in HTML. Used in the [debug console](../chapter-debugging-console.md), but you can also use it in your template while developing to see what is going on under the hood. > **Note** > > Use for debugging only! Since you may accidentally reveal sensitive information or introduce vulnerabilities such as XSS using this method never use it in production. ## Basic usage ```smarty {$myVar|debug_print_var} ``` ## Parameters | Parameter | Type | Required | Description | |-----------|------|----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1 | int | No | maximum recursion depth if $var is an array or object (defaults to 10) | | 2 | int | No | maximum string length if $var is a string (defaults to 40) |