object debugging with syntax highlight

any.html.erb

<!-- using -->
<%= syntax_debug @object %>

any_helper.rb

# requires the syntax gem: `gem install syntax`
def syntax_debug(object, lang = :yaml)
  require 'syntax/convertors/html'
  concat(content_tag(:style, :type => 'text/css', :media => 'screen'){
    %{
      .debug_dump .keyword,
      .debug_dump .key        { font-weight: bold;  }
      .debug_dump .class,
      .debug_dump .type       { color:#445588; 
                                font-weight: bold;  }
      .debug_dump .method     { color:#990000; 
                                font-weight:bold;   }
      .debug_dump .constant,
      .debug_dump .document   { color: #177F80;     }
      .debug_dump .global     { color: #177F80;     }
      .debug_dump .punct      { color: #333;        }
      .debug_dump .attribute  { color: #0086B3;     }
      .debug_dump .comment    { color: #999988; 
                                font-style: italic; }
      .debug_dump .regex      { color: #159828;     }
      .debug_dump .string     { color:#D81745;      }
      .debug_dump .expr       { color:#D81745;      }
      .debug_dump .number     { color: #1C9898;     }
      .debug_dump .symbol     { color: #960B73;     }
      .debug_dump .pre-strong { font-weight: bold;  }
      .debug_dump .escape     {                     }
      .debug_dump .ident      {                     }
    }
  })
  convertor = Syntax::Convertors::HTML.for_syntax lang.to_s
  begin
    Marshal::dump(object)
    data = object.to_yaml
  rescue Exception => e
    data = object.inspect
  end
  concat(content_tag(:div, convertor.convert(data), :class => 'debug_dump'))
end