[object Object] obscure form in xsnap console

[dckc]

Describe the bug

In un-redacted console messages, our xsnap console shim prints [object Object] where we're used to more detail from the node.js console.

Error#4: Withdrawal of [object Object] failed because the purse only contained [object Object]

To Reproduce

for example: Agoric/testnet-load-generator#30

Expected behavior

something more like inspect.

or perhaps assert.quote from SES?

Platform Environment

• what version of the Agoric-SDK are you using? d48e6a7

Additional context

originally discussed in Agoric/testnet-load-generator#30

cc @kriskowal @katelynsills @mhofman

[kriskowal]

This probably requires a virtual-terminal console emulation backed by print to run inside XS. I believe ava has one and there is a util shim. We may need to find and use the lightest of these options.

[kriskowal]

We may also have to adapt an existing one to XS or adapt XS to provide process.stderr. We should also not have console.log going to stdout like the Node.js prior-art.

[dckc]

virtual-terminal? process.stderr? I am not following at all.

assert.quote() seems like The Right Thing, to me.

[kriskowal]

If quote transpires not to be the right thing, as it won’t in every case, the underlying object should still be rendered in a useful way thru the powerful console in the start compartment, and in that case, we’ll want a more expressive console. Perhaps not so far as using one that does TV100 like Node.js, but one that at least renders like quote.

[dckc]

In what case will assert.quote not be the right thing? Can't we just decide that it is correct?

[kriskowal]

assert.quote should not be used if the underlying value should not be revealed to intermediate stack frames, and may be revealed to the powerful console.

[dckc]

I meant this issue to be only about un-redacted console messages. I clarified the description.

My suggestion is not that the caller of console.log() should use assert.quote in the situation in question, but that assert.quote might replace the implementation of the actual console in our console shim, which is currently an ad-hoc combination of whatever XS's print does with some .toString() calls and exception catching.