Looking for better data inspector than `dir`
<blockquote>
  <p><strong>Possible Duplicate:</strong><br>
  <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/192109/is-there-a-function-in-python-to-print-all-the-current-properties-and-values-of">Is there a function in Python to print all the current properties and values of an object?</a>  </p>
</blockquote>



<p>In interactive python sessions I make a lot of use of the <code>dir</code> function, to get a sense of an object's structure.  Unfortunately, <code>dir</code> only shows the names of attributes, not their values, so it is nowhere near as informative as it could be.  Furthermore, <code>dir</code>'s print out makes no attempt to format the output for ease of reading (IOW: <code>dir</code> <em>don't do no stinkin' pretty-print</em>).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Where can I find an "off-the-shelf" data-inspection utility that is more informative, and better formatted, <code>dir</code>?</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For example, a more useful alternative to <code>dir</code> would print the values (suitably formatted, as needed) associated with each attribute, and would format this output for easy reading.  For attributes whose values are callable, it would print their signatures and/or the first lines of their docstrings.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>
