lua table.dump to dump a whole table to print_r.

table_dump.lua

local type = type
local tostring = tostring
local table = table
local table_insert = table.insert
local table_concat = table.concat
local pairs = pairs

return function(t, name, indent)
    local table_list = {}
    local function table_r(t, name, indent, full)
        local id = not full and name
                or type(name) ~= "number" and tostring(name) or '[' .. name .. ']'
        local tag = indent .. id .. ' = '
        local out = {} -- result
        if type(t) == "table" then
            if table_list[t] ~= nil then table_insert(out, tag .. '{} -- ' .. table_list[t] .. ' (self reference)')
            else
                table_list[t] = full and (full .. '.' .. id) or id
                local _, is_nil_v = next(t)
                if is_nil_v ~= nil then -- Table not empty
                    table_insert(out, tag .. '{')
                    for key, value in pairs(t) do
                        table_insert(out, table_r(value, key, indent .. '|  ', table_list[t]))
                    end
                    table_insert(out, indent .. '}')
                else table_insert(out, tag .. '{}')
                end
            end
        else
            local val = type(t) ~= "number" and type(t) ~= "boolean" and '"' .. tostring(t) .. '"' or tostring(t)
            table_insert(out, tag .. val)
        end
        return table_concat(out, '\n')
    end

    return table_r(t, name or 'Value', indent or '')
end