diff --git a/parsing/parser.mly b/parsing/parser.mly
index 65b9ca3..ce612c9 100644
--- a/parsing/parser.mly
+++ b/parsing/parser.mly
@@ -1490,16 +1490,31 @@ class_longident:
     LIDENT                                      { Lident $1 }
   | mod_longident DOT LIDENT                    { Ldot($1, $3) }
 ;
+any_longident:
+    val_ident                                   { Lident $1 }
+  | mod_longident DOT val_ident                 { Ldot($1, $3) }
+  | mod_longident                               { $1 }
+;
+ident_kind:
+    VAL                                         { Pkind_val }
+  | TYPE                                        { Pkind_type }
+  | EXCEPTION                                   { Pkind_exception }
+  | MODULE                                      { Pkind_module }
+  | MODULE TYPE                                 { Pkind_modtype }
+  | CLASS                                       { Pkind_class }
+  | CLASS TYPE                                  { Pkind_cltype }
+;
 
 /* Toplevel directives */
 
 toplevel_directive:
-    SHARP ident                 { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_none) }
-  | SHARP ident STRING          { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_string $3) }
-  | SHARP ident INT             { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_int $3) }
-  | SHARP ident val_longident   { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_ident $3) }
-  | SHARP ident FALSE           { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_bool false) }
-  | SHARP ident TRUE            { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_bool true) }
+    SHARP ident                                 { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_none) }
+  | SHARP ident STRING                          { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_string $3) }
+  | SHARP ident INT                             { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_int $3) }
+  | SHARP ident val_longident                   { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_ident $3) }
+  | SHARP ident ident_kind any_longident        { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_show ($3,$4)) }
+  | SHARP ident FALSE                           { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_bool false) }
+  | SHARP ident TRUE                            { Ptop_dir($2, Pdir_bool true) }
 ;
 
 /* Miscellaneous */
diff --git a/parsing/parsetree.mli b/parsing/parsetree.mli
index 3d6ceef..79f34e4 100644
--- a/parsing/parsetree.mli
+++ b/parsing/parsetree.mli
@@ -264,6 +264,15 @@ and structure_item_desc =
 
 (* Toplevel phrases *)
 
+type ident_kind =
+    Pkind_val
+  | Pkind_type
+  | Pkind_exception
+  | Pkind_module
+  | Pkind_modtype
+  | Pkind_class
+  | Pkind_cltype
+
 type toplevel_phrase =
     Ptop_def of structure
   | Ptop_dir of string * directive_argument
@@ -273,4 +282,5 @@ and directive_argument =
   | Pdir_string of string
   | Pdir_int of int
   | Pdir_ident of Longident.t
+  | Pdir_show of ident_kind * Longident.t
   | Pdir_bool of bool
diff --git a/parsing/printast.ml b/parsing/printast.ml
index aa5b1fd..222ee76 100644
--- a/parsing/printast.ml
+++ b/parsing/printast.ml
@@ -677,6 +677,16 @@ and label_x_bool_x_core_type_list i ppf x =
       core_type (i+1) ppf ct
 ;;
 
+let string_of_kind = function
+    Pkind_val -> "val"
+  | Pkind_type -> "type"
+  | Pkind_exception -> "exception"
+  | Pkind_module -> "module"
+  | Pkind_modtype -> "module type"
+  | Pkind_class -> "class"
+  | Pkind_cltype -> "class type"
+;;
+
 let rec toplevel_phrase i ppf x =
   match x with
   | Ptop_def (s) ->
@@ -692,6 +702,7 @@ and directive_argument i ppf x =
   | Pdir_string (s) -> line i ppf "Pdir_string \"%s\"\n" s;
   | Pdir_int (i) -> line i ppf "Pdir_int %d\n" i;
   | Pdir_ident (li) -> line i ppf "Pdir_ident %a\n" fmt_longident li;
+  | Pdir_show (kind,li) -> line i ppf "Pdir_show %s %a\n" (string_of_kind kind) fmt_longident li;
   | Pdir_bool (b) -> line i ppf "Pdir_bool %s\n" (string_of_bool b);
 ;;
 
diff --git a/parsing/printast.mli b/parsing/printast.mli
index 4a33e3f..b36ef9d 100644
--- a/parsing/printast.mli
+++ b/parsing/printast.mli
@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@ open Format;;
 val interface : formatter -> signature_item list -> unit;;
 val implementation : formatter -> structure_item list -> unit;;
 val top_phrase : formatter -> toplevel_phrase -> unit;;
+val string_of_kind : ident_kind -> string;;
diff --git a/toplevel/opttoploop.ml b/toplevel/opttoploop.ml
index 95baaf7..07fa086 100644
--- a/toplevel/opttoploop.ml
+++ b/toplevel/opttoploop.ml
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ type directive_fun =
    | Directive_string of (string -> unit)
    | Directive_int of (int -> unit)
    | Directive_ident of (Longident.t -> unit)
+   | Directive_show of (ident_kind -> Longident.t -> unit)
    | Directive_bool of (bool -> unit)
 
 
@@ -274,6 +275,7 @@ let execute_phrase print_outcome ppf phr =
         | (Directive_string f, Pdir_string s) -> f s; true
         | (Directive_int f, Pdir_int n) -> f n; true
         | (Directive_ident f, Pdir_ident lid) -> f lid; true
+        | (Directive_show f, Pdir_show (kind,lid)) -> f kind lid; true
         | (Directive_bool f, Pdir_bool b) -> f b; true
         | (_, _) ->
             fprintf ppf "Wrong type of argument for directive `%s'.@." dir_name;
diff --git a/toplevel/topdirs.ml b/toplevel/topdirs.ml
index d45b4f7..b06c658 100644
--- a/toplevel/topdirs.ml
+++ b/toplevel/topdirs.ml
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 open Format
 open Misc
 open Longident
+open Parsetree
 open Path
 open Types
 open Cmo_format
@@ -269,10 +270,55 @@ let dir_untrace_all ppf () =
     !traced_functions;
   traced_functions := []
 
+(* Warnings *)
+
 let parse_warnings ppf iserr s =
   try Warnings.parse_options iserr s
   with Arg.Bad err -> fprintf ppf "%s.@." err
 
+(* Typing information *)
+
+let show_type ppf kind lid =
+  let env = !Toploop.toplevel_env in
+  try
+    let id =
+      let s = match lid with
+        Longident.Lident s -> s
+      | Longident.Ldot (_,s) -> s
+      | Longident.Lapply _ -> failwith "invalid"
+      in Ident.create_persistent s
+    in
+    let item =
+      match kind with
+        Pkind_val ->
+          let path, desc = Env.lookup_value lid env in
+          Tsig_value (id, desc)
+      | Pkind_type ->
+          let path, desc = Env.lookup_type lid env in
+          Tsig_type (id, desc, Trec_not)
+      | Pkind_exception ->
+          let desc = Env.lookup_constructor lid env in
+          Tsig_exception (id, desc.cstr_args)
+      | Pkind_module ->
+          let path, desc = Env.lookup_module lid env in
+          Tsig_module (id, desc, Trec_not)
+      | Pkind_modtype ->
+          let path, desc = Env.lookup_modtype lid env in
+          Tsig_modtype (id, desc)
+      | Pkind_class ->
+          let path, desc = Env.lookup_class lid env in
+          Tsig_class (id, desc, Trec_not)
+      | Pkind_cltype ->
+          let path, desc = Env.lookup_cltype lid env in
+          Tsig_cltype (id, desc, Trec_not)
+    in
+    fprintf ppf "%a@." Printtyp.signature [item]
+  with
+    Not_found ->
+      fprintf ppf "Unknown %s.@." (Printast.string_of_kind kind)
+  | Failure "invalid" ->
+      fprintf ppf "Invalid path %a@." Printtyp.longident lid
+
 let _ =
   Hashtbl.add directive_table "trace" (Directive_ident (dir_trace std_out));
   Hashtbl.add directive_table "untrace" (Directive_ident (dir_untrace std_out));
@@ -301,4 +347,7 @@ let _ =
              (Directive_string (parse_warnings std_out false));
 
   Hashtbl.add directive_table "warn_error"
-             (Directive_string (parse_warnings std_out true))
+             (Directive_string (parse_warnings std_out true));
+
+  Hashtbl.add directive_table "show"
+             (Directive_show (show_type std_out))
diff --git a/toplevel/toploop.ml b/toplevel/toploop.ml
index 2a6ff83..a55321f 100644
--- a/toplevel/toploop.ml
+++ b/toplevel/toploop.ml
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type directive_fun =
    | Directive_string of (string -> unit)
    | Directive_int of (int -> unit)
    | Directive_ident of (Longident.t -> unit)
+   | Directive_show of (ident_kind -> Longident.t -> unit)
    | Directive_bool of (bool -> unit)
 
 (* The table of toplevel value bindings and its accessors *)
@@ -263,6 +264,7 @@ let execute_phrase print_outcome ppf phr =
         | (Directive_string f, Pdir_string s) -> f s; true
         | (Directive_int f, Pdir_int n) -> f n; true
         | (Directive_ident f, Pdir_ident lid) -> f lid; true
+        | (Directive_show f, Pdir_show (kind,lid)) -> f kind lid; true
         | (Directive_bool f, Pdir_bool b) -> f b; true
         | (_, _) ->
             fprintf ppf "Wrong type of argument for directive `%s'.@." dir_name;
diff --git a/toplevel/toploop.mli b/toplevel/toploop.mli
index be9c27b..0b6fbd6 100644
--- a/toplevel/toploop.mli
+++ b/toplevel/toploop.mli
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ type directive_fun =
    | Directive_string of (string -> unit)
    | Directive_int of (int -> unit)
    | Directive_ident of (Longident.t -> unit)
+   | Directive_show of (Parsetree.ident_kind -> Longident.t -> unit)
    | Directive_bool of (bool -> unit)
 
 val directive_table : (string, directive_fun) Hashtbl.t
diff --git a/typing/printtyp.ml b/typing/printtyp.ml
index 571241d..55ded41 100644
--- a/typing/printtyp.ml
+++ b/typing/printtyp.ml
@@ -810,8 +810,10 @@ and tree_of_signature = function
       tree_of_class_declaration id decl rs :: tree_of_signature rem
   | Tsig_cltype(id, decl, rs) :: tydecl1 :: tydecl2 :: rem ->
       tree_of_cltype_declaration id decl rs :: tree_of_signature rem
-  | _ ->
-      assert false
+  | Tsig_class(id, decl, rs) :: _ ->
+      tree_of_class_declaration id decl rs :: []
+  | Tsig_cltype(id, decl, rs) :: _ ->
+      tree_of_cltype_declaration id decl rs :: []
 
 and tree_of_modtype_declaration id decl =
   let mty =