Python in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

The repr Module

The repr module supplies an alternative to the built-in function repr (covered in repr in The repr Module), with limits on length for the representation string. To fine-tune the length limits, you can instantiate or subclass the Repr class supplied by module repr and apply detailed control. Most of the time, however, the main function exposed by module repr suffices.

repr	repr(obj) Returns a string representing obj, with sensible limits on length.