diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
index 41ea236ff32e2c..4875fbe1161470 100644
--- a/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/checker.v
@@ -4618,9 +4618,9 @@ fn (mut c Checker) fetch_field_name(field ast.StructField) string {
 	return name
 }
 
-fn (mut c Checker) trace(fbase string, message string) {
+fn (mut c Checker) trace[T](fbase string, x &T) {
 	if c.file.path_base == fbase {
-		println('> c.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | ${message}')
+		println('> c.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | ${x}')
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
index 58d21eb984600d..b126e3c1113ead 100644
--- a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
+++ b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
@@ -3006,8 +3006,8 @@ pub fn (mut f Fmt) unsafe_expr(node ast.UnsafeExpr) {
 	f.write('}')
 }
 
-fn (mut f Fmt) trace(fbase string, message string) {
+fn (mut f Fmt) trace[T](fbase string, x &T) {
 	if f.file.path_base == fbase {
-		println('> f.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | ${message}')
+		println('> f.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | ${voidptr(x):16} | ${x}')
 	}
 }
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
index e9606b59ad4ac8..cba50189ee577a 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/cgen.v
@@ -6945,9 +6945,9 @@ pub fn get_guarded_include_text(iname string, imessage string) string {
 	return res
 }
 
-fn (mut g Gen) trace(fbase string, message string) {
+fn (mut g Gen) trace[T](fbase string, x &T) {
 	if g.file.path_base == fbase {
-		println('> g.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | ${message}')
+		println('> g.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | ${voidptr(x):16} | ${x}')
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/golang/golang.v b/vlib/v/gen/golang/golang.v
index 1ee26aefc4e764..46c47dd299fe63 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/golang/golang.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/golang/golang.v
@@ -2283,12 +2283,6 @@ pub fn (mut f Gen) unsafe_expr(node ast.UnsafeExpr) {
 	f.write('}')
 }
 
-fn (mut f Gen) trace(fbase string, message string) {
-	// if f.file.path_base == fbase {
-	// println('> f.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | $message')
-	//}
-}
-
 pub fn (mut g Gen) error(s string) {
 	util.verror('golang backend error', s)
 }
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
index 5c432f0a3dcea4..ba9f3616e5a3dc 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/parser.v
@@ -4358,9 +4358,9 @@ fn (mut p Parser) disallow_declarations_in_script_mode() bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-fn (mut p Parser) trace(fbase string, message string) {
+fn (mut p Parser) trace[T](fbase string, x &T) {
 	if p.file_base == fbase {
-		println('> p.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | ${message}')
+		println('> p.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | ${voidptr(x):16} | ${x}')
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/vlib/v/scanner/scanner.v b/vlib/v/scanner/scanner.v
index 2b96bfaae9a93d..cc880f129a0927 100644
--- a/vlib/v/scanner/scanner.v
+++ b/vlib/v/scanner/scanner.v
@@ -1685,8 +1685,8 @@ fn (mut s Scanner) vet_error(msg string, fix vet.FixKind) {
 	s.vet_errors << ve
 }
 
-fn (mut s Scanner) trace(fbase string, message string) {
+fn (mut s Scanner) trace[T](fbase string, x &T) {
 	if s.file_base == fbase {
-		println('> s.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | ${message}')
+		println('> s.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | ${voidptr(x):16} | ${x}')
 	}
 }
diff --git a/vlib/v/transformer/transformer.v b/vlib/v/transformer/transformer.v
index 741c6b0e0fe319..144ed4e01d01ab 100644
--- a/vlib/v/transformer/transformer.v
+++ b/vlib/v/transformer/transformer.v
@@ -9,11 +9,18 @@ pub struct Transformer {
 pub mut:
 	index &IndexState
 	table &ast.Table = unsafe { nil }
+	file  &ast.File  = unsafe { nil }
 mut:
 	is_assert   bool
 	inside_dump bool
 }
 
+fn (mut t Transformer) trace[T](fbase string, x &T) {
+	if t.file.path_base == fbase {
+		println('> t.trace | ${fbase:-10s} | ${voidptr(x):16} | ${x}')
+	}
+}
+
 pub fn new_transformer(pref_ &pref.Preferences) &Transformer {
 	return &Transformer{
 		pref: pref_
@@ -38,6 +45,7 @@ pub fn (mut t Transformer) transform_files(ast_files []&ast.File) {
 }
 
 pub fn (mut t Transformer) transform(mut ast_file ast.File) {
+	t.file = ast_file
 	for mut stmt in ast_file.stmts {
 		stmt = t.stmt(mut stmt)
 	}