# yet another way to display records...
def beginning(foo, size=15):
    full = "%s" % foo
    if len(full) <= size:
        return full
    return full[:size - 3] + '...'


def printable(record_s):
    # a list of records :
    if isinstance(record_s, list):
        return "[" + "\n".join([printable(r) for r in record_s]) + "]"
    if isinstance(record_s, dict):
        return "{" + " , ".join(["%s:%s" % (k, beginning(v)) for k, v in record_s.items()]) + "}"
    if isinstance(record_s, str):
        return record_s
    return "unprintable [[%s]]" % record_s