mrluc/mex

---

mrluc/mex.json

{
  "createdAt": "2015-09-25T04:45:41Z",
  "defaultBranch": "master",
  "description": "Readable, side-by-side macro-expansion display for Elixir's interactive shell.",
  "fullName": "mrluc/mex",
  "homepage": "",
  "language": "Elixir",
  "name": "mex",
  "pushedAt": "2016-02-02T18:44:43Z",
  "stargazersCount": 157,
  "topics": [],
  "updatedAt": "2025-10-08T01:47:58Z",
  "url": "https://github.com/mrluc/mex"
}

Mex

An Elixir Shell helper for previewing macroexpansion.

Displays different levels of macroexpansion side-by-side, along with where and why the expansion fails (if it does).

![Samples of output and error display]!(doc/output_samples.png)

Installation

Install by adding a dev dependency on mex:

1. Add mex to your list of dependencies in mix.exs:

   def deps do [{:mex, ”~> 0.0.1”, only: :dev}] end

2. Ensure mex is started before your application:

   def application do [applications: [:mex]] end

Then import and configure it in your project’s .iex.exs:

import Mex
Mex.set_width 160   # (optional) default width is 80 chars

Usage

mex do
  expr  # <-- expression you'd like expanded.
end

By default, mex will display 4 columns: no_expansion, Macro.expand_once, Macro.expand, and Mex.expand_all.

You can display fewer columns (1-3) by passing an argument to mex before the block:

iex(0)> import Mex
iex(2)> mex 3 do
          expression_to_macro_expand
        end

<will display 3 columns>

You can also display only a single expander by instead supplying one of :none, :once, :expand, :all as argument, or use the function Mex.pp_compare if you want to supply your own expanders.