> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://boxlang.ortusbooks.com/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/writedump.md).

# writeDump

Outputs the contents of a variable (simple or complex) of any type for debugging purposes to a specific output location.

The available `output` locations are: - **buffer**: The output is written to the buffer, which is the default location. If running on a web server, the output is written to the browser. - **console**: The output is printed to the System console. - **Absolute File Path** The output is written to a file with the specified absolute file path.

The output `format` can be either HTML or plain text.

The default format is HTML if the output location is the buffer or a web server or a file, otherwise it is plain text for the console.

## Method Signature

```
writeDump(var=[any], label=[string], depth=[numeric], maxRows=[numeric], top=[numeric], expand=[boolean], abort=[boolean], output=[string], format=[string], showUDFs=[boolean])
```

### Arguments

| Argument   | Type      | Required | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Default |
| ---------- | --------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `var`      | `any`     | `false`  | The variable to dump, can be any type                                                                                                                                                                               |         |
| `label`    | `string`  | `false`  | A custom label to display above the dump (Only in HTML output)                                                                                                                                                      |         |
| `depth`    | `numeric` | `false`  | <p>The recursion depth to display when dumping nested collections. 1-based: -1 (default) is unlimited, 0 shows nothing,<br>1 shows the top level with no recursion, 2 recurses once, etc. (Only in HTML output)</p> |         |
| `maxRows`  | `numeric` | `false`  | <p>The maximum number of keys/rows/items to display per level of a collection, array, or query. 1-based: -1 (default)<br>is unlimited, 0 shows nothing, 1 shows a single row, etc. (Only in HTML output)</p>        |         |
| `top`      | `numeric` | `false`  | <p>Deprecated: use maxRows instead. When maxRows is not also passed, top's value is used as maxRows.<br>Kept for backwards compatibility with existing BoxLang code. (Only in HTML output)</p>                      |         |
| `expand`   | `boolean` | `false`  | Whether to expand the dump. Be default, we try to expand as much as possible. (Only in HTML output)                                                                                                                 | `true`  |
| `abort`    | `boolean` | `false`  | Whether to do a hard abort the request after dumping. Default is false                                                                                                                                              | `false` |
| `output`   | `string`  | `false`  | The output format which can be "buffer", "console", or "{absolute file path}". The default is "buffer".                                                                                                             |         |
| `format`   | `string`  | `false`  | The format of the output to a **filename**. Can be "html" or "text". The default is according to the output location.                                                                                               |         |
| `showUDFs` | `boolean` | `false`  | Show UDFs or not. Default is true. (Only in HTML output)                                                                                                                                                            | `true`  |

## Examples

## Related

* [ApplicationRestart](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/applicationrestart.md)
* [ApplicationStartTime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/applicationstarttime.md)
* [ApplicationStop](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/applicationstop.md)
* [BoxAnnounce](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxannounce.md)
* [BoxAnnounceAsync](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxannounceasync.md)
* [BoxAST](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxast.md)
* [BoxModuleReload](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxmodulereload.md)
* [BoxRegisterInterceptionPoints](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxregisterinterceptionpoints.md)
* [BoxRegisterInterceptor](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxregisterinterceptor.md)
* [BoxRegisterRequestInterceptor](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxregisterrequestinterceptor.md)
* [BoxUnregisterInterceptor](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxunregisterinterceptor.md)
* [BoxUnregisterRequestInterceptor](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/boxunregisterrequestinterceptor.md)
* [CallStackGet](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/callstackget.md)
* [CreateGUID](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/createguid.md)
* [CreateObject](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/createobject.md)
* [CreateUUID](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/createuuid.md)
* [DE](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/de.md)
* [DebugBoxContexts](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/debugboxcontexts.md)
* [Dump](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/dump.md)
* [Duplicate](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/duplicate.md)
* [echo](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/echo.md)
* [EncodeForHTML](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/encodeforhtml.md)
* [GetApplicationMetadata](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getapplicationmetadata.md)
* [GetBaseTagData](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getbasetagdata.md)
* [GetBaseTagList](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getbasetaglist.md)
* [GetBaseTemplatePath](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getbasetemplatepath.md)
* [GetBoxContext](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getboxcontext.md)
* [GetBoxRuntime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getboxruntime.md)
* [GetBoxVersionInfo](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getboxversioninfo.md)
* [GetClassMetadata](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getclassmetadata.md)
* [GetComponentList](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getcomponentlist.md)
* [GetContextRoot](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getcontextroot.md)
* [GetCurrentTemplatePath](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getcurrenttemplatepath.md)
* [GetFileFromPath](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getfilefrompath.md)
* [GetFunctionCalledName](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getfunctioncalledname.md)
* [GetFunctionList](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getfunctionlist.md)
* [GetModuleInfo](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getmoduleinfo.md)
* [GetModuleList](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getmodulelist.md)
* [GetModuleTree](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getmoduletree.md)
* [GetRequestClassLoader](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getrequestclassloader.md)
* [GetSemver](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getsemver.md)
* [GetSystemSetting](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/getsystemsetting.md)
* [GetTempDirectory](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/gettempdirectory.md)
* [GetTickCount](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/gettickcount.md)
* [htmlEditFormat](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/htmleditformat.md)
* [IIF](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/iif.md)
* [Invoke](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/invoke.md)
* [IsInstanceOf](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/isinstanceof.md)
* [JavaCast](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/javacast.md)
* [ObjectDeserialize](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/objectdeserialize.md)
* [ObjectSerialize](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/objectserialize.md)
* [PagePoolClear](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/pagepoolclear.md)
* [Print](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/print.md)
* [Println](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/println.md)
* [RunThreadInContext](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/runthreadincontext.md)
* [SessionInvalidate](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sessioninvalidate.md)
* [SessionRotate](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sessionrotate.md)
* [SessionStartTime](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sessionstarttime.md)
* [Sleep](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/sleep.md)
* [SystemCacheClear](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/systemcacheclear.md)
* [SystemExecute](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/systemexecute.md)
* [SystemOutput](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/systemoutput.md)
* [Throw](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/throw.md)
* [Trace](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/trace.md)
* [URLDecode](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/urldecode.md)
* [URLEncodedFormat](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/urlencodedformat.md)
* [WriteLog](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/writelog.md)
* [WriteOutput](/boxlang-language/reference/built-in-functions/system/writeoutput.md)


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