Custom string instead of “Object” in console.log

Question

For convenience while debugging, I think it would be nice to print some custom string, rather than the default Object that appears when logging an object to the console.

In the following example, see how an object called example is marked by Object when it is logged to the console, whereas window is marked by Window when it is logged to the console. I guessed that the __proto__["Symbol(Symbol.toStringTag)"] property might be the way to go, since window 's is set to Window . That didn't work, but maybe I'm just using it wrong.

Answer 1

That's because you're using the Symbol wrong -- you were on the right track. Symbol.toStringTag is a special well-known Symbol used by Object#toString to give you the console output, specifically the tag you're after. You can't wrap it in a string as you've done, or else you'll be literally setting the "Symbol.toStringTag" property, not the actual Symbol:

 const example = { key: "value" }; example.__proto__["Symbol.toStringTag"] = "Example"; console.log(example); //You set the literal "Symbol.toStringTag" property -- wrong 

Instead, don't wrap it in quotes and actually set the Symbol:

 const example = { key: "value" }; example.__proto__[Symbol.toStringTag] = "Example"; console.log(example); 

Which produces (on Chrome):