I have some text and I'm trying to load it via load string. The following works:
local m = loadstring("data = 5")()
But when the data is a table it doesn't work and gives the error "attempt to call a nil"
local m = loadstring("data = { 1 = 10}")()
The table declaration in lua require integer keys to be put inside square brackets:
data = {
[1] = value,
}
The enclosing of keys in square brackets is always allowed, valid and possible. It can be skipped iff your key follows the pattern: [A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]* (which is the same as a valid variable name in lua)
If you had added an assert you would have got a more helpful message:
local m = assert (loadstring("data = { 1 = 10}"))()
Result:
stdin:1: [string "data = { 1 = 10}"]:1: '}' expected near '='
stack traceback:
[C]: in function 'assert'
stdin:1: in main chunk
[C]: ?
And to actually answer the question, unless the table key happens to follow Lua variable naming rules, you have to put it inside square brackets, eg.
local m = assert (loadstring("data = { [1] = 10}"))()
m is still nil when I do this
What does that matter? The loadstring is done.
Just do this:
assert (loadstring("data = { 1 = 10}"))()
print (data [1])
You don't need the variable m. The loadstring puts a table into data - that is the important thing.
Related
I wrote simple class to compress data. Here it is:
LZWCompressor = {}
function LZWCompressor.new()
local self = {}
self.mDictionary = {}
self.mDictionaryLen = 0
-- ...
self.Encode = function(sInput)
self:InitDictionary(true)
local s = ""
local ch = ""
local len = string.len(sInput)
local result = {}
local dic = self.mDictionary
local temp = 0
for i = 1, len do
ch = string.sub(sInput, i, i)
temp = s..ch
if dic[temp] then
s = temp
else
result[#result + 1] = dic[s]
self.mDictionaryLen = self.mDictionaryLen + 1
dic[temp] = self.mDictionaryLen
s = ch
end
end
result[#result + 1] = dic[s]
return result
end
-- ...
return self
end
And i run it by:
local compressor = LZWCompression.new()
local encodedData = compressor:Encode("I like LZW, but it doesnt want to compress this text.")
print("Input length:",string.len(originalString))
print("Output length:",#encodedData)
local decodedString = compressor:Decode(encodedData)
print(decodedString)
print(originalString == decodedString)
But when i finally run it by lua, it shows that interpreter expected string, not Table. That was strange thing, because I pass argument of type string. To test Lua's logs, i wrote at beggining of function:
print(typeof(sInput))
I got output "Table" and lua's error. So how to fix it? Why lua displays that string (That i have passed) is a table? I use Lua 5.3.
Issue is in definition of method Encode(), and most likely Decode() has same problem.
You create Encode() method using dot syntax: self.Encode = function(sInput),
but then you're calling it with colon syntax: compressor:Encode(data)
When you call Encode() with colon syntax, its first implicit argument will be compressor itself (table from your error), not the data.
To fix it, declare Encode() method with colon syntax: function self:Encode(sInput), or add 'self' as first argument explicitly self.Encode = function(self, sInput)
The code you provided should not run at all.
You define function LZWCompressor.new() but call CLZWCompression.new()
Inside Encode you call self:InitDictionary(true) which has not been defined.
Maybe you did not paste all relevant code here.
The reason for the error you get though is that you call compressor:Encode(sInput) which is equivalent to compressor.Encode(self, sInput). (syntactic sugar) As function parameters are not passed by name but by their position sInput inside Encode is now compressor, not your string.
Your first argument (which happens to be self, a table) is then passed to string.len which expects a string.
So you acutally call string.len(compressor) which of course results in an error.
Please make sure you know how to call and define functions and how to use self properly!
I have a lua table which I used to share values between files. But I am getting confused in the following case
utility.lua file
M = {}
M.host_url = '192.168.0.1'
function M.myFunc()
print(M.host_url )
end
return M
in my main.lua
utility = require('utility')
utility.myFunc() -- this gives me 'a nil value' error
I get an error (nil value) for the host_url?
In M.myFunc doing only print action that function nothing will be return.in your utility file returning whole array see he below code that will clear your doudt.
In main.lua
utility = require('util')
value = utility.host_url
print(value)
I am trying to create an operator '!' that returns the print function.
I am getting the following error:
line 15: attempt to call a number value
stack traceback:
t.lua:15: in main chunk
[C]: ?
My code is below:
local opTable = {}
debug.setmetatable(0,{
_call = function(a,op)
return opTable[op](a)
end
})
local function addOp(operator,f)
opTable[operator] = f
end
addOp('!',print)
print((5)'!')
It seems this should work, because techniqe #3 on http://lua-users.org/wiki/CustomOperators uses almost exactly the same method.
background:
I am trying to teach myself Lua and I am having difficulty understanding why a table is being considered nil when it has data inside it. Can anyone break it down for me why I am getting this error message from the code snippet below? It is one of my first programs and i really need to get these few concepts down before moving on to my real project. Thanks!
error message:
C:\Users\<user>\Desktop>lua luaCrap.lua
lua: luaCrap.lua:7: attempt to call global 'entry' (a nil value)
stack traceback:
luaCrap.lua:7: in main chunk
[C]: ?
code:
--this creates the function to print
function fwrite (fmt, ...)
return io.write(string.format(fmt, unpack(arg)))
end
--this is my table of strings to print
entry{
title = "test",
org = "org",
url = "http://www.google.com/",
contact = "someone",
description = [[
test1
test2
test3]]
}
--this is to print the tables first value
fwrite(entry[1])
--failed loop attempt to print table
-- for i = 1, #entry, 1 do
-- local entryPrint = entry[i] or 'Fail'
-- fwrite(entryPrint)
-- end
you are missing the assignment to entry.
you need to change the entry code to this:
entry =
{
title = "test",
org = "org",
url = "http://www.google.com/",
contact = "someone",
description = [[
test1
test2
test3]]
}
to clarify the error message, parens are assumed in certain contexts, like when you have a table directly following a label. the interpreter thinks you're trying to pass a table to a function called entry, which it can't find. it assumes you really meant this:
entry({title = "test", ...})
My game engine pushes a value on to the lua stack as a parameter to a function and then invokes it using lua_pcall. The lua code will run and call additional lua functions. Eventually this lua code will invoke a C function. Is it possible for this function to retrieve the value that was originally pushed on to the stack?
Its like this:
<engine function A>
pushes parameter value X on to stack for lua
<lua func>
<lua func>
<lua func>
<engine function B>
can I extract the values X that was pushed by function A here?
Yes, with a combination of getinfo, getlocal and getupvalue you can get all that information (you can even change those values using set* functions).
Here is a fragment from MobDebug that returns stack information along with a table of locals and upvalues at each level. The variables at each level will be indexed in the same order they appear in the code (starting from parameters). For each get* function you can use their C equivalents (lua_getinfo, lua_getlocal, and lua_getupvalue), but the logic should be exactly the same.
local function stack(start)
local function vars(f)
local func = debug.getinfo(f, "f").func
local i = 1
local locals = {}
while true do
local name, value = debug.getlocal(f, i)
if not name then break end
if string.sub(name, 1, 1) ~= '(' then locals[name] = {value, tostring(value)} end
i = i + 1
end
i = 1
local ups = {}
while func and true do -- check for func as it may be nil for tail calls
local name, value = debug.getupvalue(func, i)
if not name then break end
ups[name] = {value, tostring(value)}
i = i + 1
end
return locals, ups
end
local stack = {}
for i = (start or 0), 100 do
local source = debug.getinfo(i, "Snl")
if not source then break end
table.insert(stack, {
{source.name, source.source, source.linedefined,
source.currentline, source.what, source.namewhat, source.short_src},
vars(i+1)})
if source.what == 'main' then break end
end
return stack
end