My understanding is that pairs(t) simply returns next, t, nil.
If I change that to next, t, someKey (where someKey is a valid key in my table) will next start at/after that key?
I tried this on the Lua Demo page:
t = { foo = "foo", bar = "bar", goo = "goo" }
for k,v in next, t, t.bar do
print(k);
end
And got varying results each time I ran the code. So specifying a starting key has an effect, unfortunately the effect seems somewhat random. Any suggestions?
Every time you run a program that traverses a Lua table the order will be different because Lua internally uses a random salt in hash tables.
This was introduced in Lua 5.2. See luai_makeseed.
From the lua documentation:
The order in which the indices are enumerated is not specified, even
for numeric indices. (To traverse a table in numeric order, use a
numerical for.)
Related
I have a table of strings like this:
{
"1",
"1.5",
"3.13",
"1.2.5.7",
"2.5",
"1.3.5",
"2.2.5.7.10",
"1.17",
"1.10.5",
"2.3.14.9",
"3.5.21.9.3",
"4"
}
And would like to sort that like this:
{
"1",
"1.2.5.7",
"1.3.5",
"1.5",
"1.10.5",
"1.17",
"2.2.5.7.10",
"2.3.14.9",
"2.5",
"3.5.21.9.3",
"3.13",
"4"
}
How do I sort this in Lua? I know that table.sort() will be used, I just don't know the function (second parameter) to use for comparison.
Given your requirements, you probably want something like natural sort order. I described several possible solution as well as their impact on the results in a blog post.
The simplest solution may look like this (below), but there are 5 different solutions listed with different complexity and the results:
function alphanumsort(o)
local function padnum(d) return ("%03d%s"):format(#d, d) end
table.sort(o, function(a,b)
return tostring(a):gsub("%d+",padnum) < tostring(b):gsub("%d+",padnum) end)
return o
end
table.sort sorts ascending by default. You don't have to provide a second parameter then. As you're sorting strings Lua will compare the strings character by character. Hence you must implement a sorting function that tells Lua which comes first.
I just don't know the function (second parameter) to use for
comparison.
That's why people wrote the Lua Reference Manual
table.sort (list [, comp])
Sorts the list elements in a given order, in-place, from list1 to
list[#list]. If comp is given, then it must be a function that
receives two list elements and returns true when the first element
must come before the second in the final order, so that, after the
sort, i <= j implies not comp(list[j],list[i]). If comp is not given,
then the standard Lua operator < is used instead.
The comp function must define a consistent order; more formally, the
function must define a strict weak order. (A weak order is similar to
a total order, but it can equate different elements for comparison
purposes.)
The sort algorithm is not stable: Different elements considered equal
by the given order may have their relative positions changed by the
sort.
Think about how you would do it with pen an paper. You would compare each number segment. As soon as a segment is smaller than the other you know this number comes first.
So a solution would probably require you to get those segments for the strings, convert them to numbers so you can compare their values...
Our task is create a table, and read values to the table using a loop. Print the values after the process is complete. - Create a table. - Read the number of values to be read to the table. - Read the values to the table using a loop. - Print the values in the table using another loop. for this we had written code as
local table = {}
for value in ipairs(table) do
io.read()
end
for value in ipairs(table) do
print(value)
end
not sure where we went wrong please help us. Our exception is
Input (stdin)
3
11
22
abc
Your Output (stdout)
~ no output ~
Expected Output
11
22
abc
Correct Code is
local table1 = {}
local x = io.read()
for line in io.lines() do
table.insert(table1, line)
end
for K, value in ipairs(table1) do
print(value)
end
Let's walk through this step-by-step.
Create a table.
Though the syntax is correct, table is a reserved pre-defined global name in Lua, and thus cannot should not be declared a variable name to avoid future issues. Instead, you'll need to want to use a different name. If you're insistent on using the word table, you'll have to distinguish it from the function global table. The easiest way to do this is change it to Table, as Lua is a case-sensitive language. Therefore, your table creation should look something like:
local Table = {}
Read values to the table using a loop.
Though Table is now established as a table, your for loop is only iterating through an empty table. It seems your goal is to iterate through the io.read() instead. But io.read() is probably not what you want here, though you can utilize a repeat loop if you wish to use io.read() via table.insert. However, repeat requires a condition that must be met for it to terminate, such as the length of the table reaching a certain amount (in your example, it would be until (#Table == 4)). Since this is a task you are given, I will not provide an example, but allow you to research this method and use it to your advantage.
Print the values after the process is complete.
You are on the right track with your printing loop. However, it must be noted that iterating through a table always returns two results, an index and a value. In your code, you would only return the index number, so your output would simply return:
1
2
3
4
If you are wanting the actual values, you'll need a placeholder for the index. Oftentimes, the placeholder for an unneeded variable in Lua is the underscore (_). Modify your for loop to account for the index, and you should be set.
Try modifying your code with the suggestions I've given and see if you can figure out how to achieve your end result.
Edited:
Thanks, Piglet, for corrections on the insight! I'd forgotten table itself wasn't a function, and wasn't reserved, but still bad form to use it as a variable name whether local or global. At least, it's how I was taught, but your comment is correct!
I have a key => value table I'd like to sort in Lua. The keys are all integers, but aren't consecutive (and have meaning). Lua's only sort function appears to be table.sort, which treats tables as simple arrays, discarding the original keys and their association with particular items. Instead, I'd essentially like to be able to use PHP's asort() function.
What I have:
items = {
[1004] = "foo",
[1234] = "bar",
[3188] = "baz",
[7007] = "quux",
}
What I want after the sort operation:
items = {
[1234] = "bar",
[3188] = "baz",
[1004] = "foo",
[7007] = "quux",
}
Any ideas?
Edit: Based on answers, I'm going to assume that it's simply an odd quirk of the particular embedded Lua interpreter I'm working with, but in all of my tests, pairs() always returns table items in the order in which they were added to the table. (i.e. the two above declarations would iterate differently).
Unfortunately, because that isn't normal behavior, it looks like I can't get what I need; Lua doesn't have the necessary tools built-in (of course) and the embedded environment is too limited for me to work around it.
Still, thanks for your help, all!
You seem to misunderstand something. What you have here is a associative array. Associative arrays have no explicit order on them, e.g. it's only the internal representation (usually sorted) that orders them.
In short -- in Lua, both of the arrays you posted are the same.
What you would want instead, is such a representation:
items = {
{1004, "foo"},
{1234, "bar"},
{3188, "baz"},
{7007, "quux"},
}
While you can't get them by index now (they are indexed 1, 2, 3, 4, but you can create another index array), you can sort them using table.sort.
A sorting function would be then:
function compare(a,b)
return a[1] < b[1]
end
table.sort(items, compare)
As Komel said, you're dealing with associative arrays, which have no guaranteed ordering.
If you want key ordering based on its associated value while also preserving associative array functionality, you can do something like this:
function getKeysSortedByValue(tbl, sortFunction)
local keys = {}
for key in pairs(tbl) do
table.insert(keys, key)
end
table.sort(keys, function(a, b)
return sortFunction(tbl[a], tbl[b])
end)
return keys
end
items = {
[1004] = "foo",
[1234] = "bar",
[3188] = "baz",
[7007] = "quux",
}
local sortedKeys = getKeysSortedByValue(items, function(a, b) return a < b end)
sortedKeys is {1234,3188,1004,7007}, and you can access your data like so:
for _, key in ipairs(sortedKeys) do
print(key, items[key])
end
result:
1234 bar
3188 baz
1004 foo
7007 quux
hmm, missed the part about not being able to control the iteration. there
But in lua there is usually always a way.
http://lua-users.org/wiki/OrderedAssociativeTable
Thats a start. Now you would need to replace the pairs() that the library uses. That could be a simples as pairs=my_pairs. You could then use the solution in the link above
PHP arrays are different from Lua tables.
A PHP array may have an ordered list of key-value pairs.
A Lua table always contains an unordered set of key-value pairs.
A Lua table acts as an array when a programmer chooses to use integers 1, 2, 3, ... as keys. The language syntax and standard library functions, like table.sort offer special support for tables with consecutive-integer keys.
So, if you want to emulate a PHP array, you'll have to represent it using list of key-value pairs, which is really a table of tables, but it's more helpful to think of it as a list of key-value pairs. Pass a custom "less-than" function to table.sort and you'll be all set.
N.B. Lua allows you to mix consecutive-integer keys with any other kinds of keys in the same table—and the representation is efficient. I use this feature sometimes, usually to tag an array with a few pieces of metadata.
Coming to this a few months later, with the same query. The recommended answer seemed to pinpoint the gap between what was required and how this looks in LUA, but it didn't get me what I was after exactly :- which was a Hash sorted by Key.
The first three functions on this page DID however : http://lua-users.org/wiki/SortedIteration
I did a brief bit of Lua coding a couple of years ago but I'm no longer fluent in it.
When faced with a similar problem, I copied my array to another array with keys and values reversed, then used sort on the new array.
I wasn't aware of a possibility to sort the array using the method Kornel Kisielewicz recommends.
The proposed compare function works but only if the values in the first column are unique.
Here is a bit enhanced compare function to ensure, if the values of a actual column equals, it takes values from next column to evaluate...
With {1234, "baam"} < {1234, "bar"} to be true the items the array containing "baam" will be inserted before the array containing the "bar".
local items = {
{1004, "foo"},
{1234, "bar"},
{1234, "baam"},
{3188, "baz"},
{7007, "quux"},
}
local function compare(a, b)
for inx = 1, #a do
-- print("A " .. inx .. " " .. a[inx])
-- print("B " .. inx .. " " .. b[inx])
if a[inx] == b[inx] and a[inx + 1] < b[inx + 1] then
return true
elseif a[inx] ~= b[inx] and a[inx] < b[inx] == true then
return true
else
return false
end
end
return false
end
table.sort(items,compare)
I have a table which will be used to store each players name, id and another value
{
{
rpname = "name",
SteamID = "STEAM_0:0:",
giftsFound = "1",
},
The table is being sent from server to client via net.ReadTable()
I want to be able to choose each value seperatley but when I have tried the following below it only returns the first letter of every value instead of the first value
for k, v in pairs(tableData) do
for k, v in pairs(v) do
print(v[1]
end
end
Please could somebody help me out?
If I understood correctly, the sample table you wrote in the first block of code would be what you called tableData in the second, right? So, what you want to have is:
An array of players
Each entry in this array is a table
A way of getting each field of each player
With a few tweaks we can make your code more readable and, from that, correct it. Firsly, I would rename some things:
Rename your table players, for it is an array of players
local players = {
{
rpname = "john",
SteamID = "STEAM_0:0:1",
giftsFound = "4",
},
-- [...]
}
Rename your variables in the for-loop
In Lua it is common pratice to use _ to name variable we are not going to use. In this case, the key (originally named k) is not something we will use.
Since it is a list of players, each entry is a player, so it is logical to rename the variable v to player.
Also, I changed pairs() to ipairs() and there's a good reason for that. I won't cover it here, but here it is explained as best as I could. Rule of thumb: if your table is array-like, use ipairs(); else, use pairs().
for _, player in ipairs(players) do
-- [...]
end
For the nested for-loop, it does make sense using k, v and pairs, so it would be something like this:
for k, v in pairs(player) do
print(k,v)
end
Running the full piece would produce this:
rpname john
giftsFound 4
SteamID STEAM_0:0:1
I suppose it solves your problem. The real errors in your code were the way you tried to access the nested table field and, arguably, naming variables with names you have already used (k and v) in the same scope, which is, in the best case, misleading.
If you want to access a specific field in the table, instead of going through the whole thing, you can do:
-- To print every player's name
for _, player in ipairs(players) do
local name = player.rpname
print(name)
end
Or even:
-- To get the first player's (in the array) name
local name = players[1].rpname
One last thing: "Lua" is not an acronym, you don't need to use all capital letters. Lua was created in Brazil and here we speak portuguese. Lua means Moon in portuguese.
I want to delete all entries from a table, wich equals a given value.
Now, I got a pretty little problem one might to know, how to handle.
This is the Code:
function(list_to_search_in, compared_value, invert)
for k,v in pairs(list_to_search_in) do
if invert and v ~= compared_value then
table.remove(list_to_search_in, v)
if not invert and v == compared_value then
table.remove(list_to_search_in, v)
end
end
end
The Problem:
Let's say the table is { 1, 2, 3, 2 }. So when I'm iterating through that loop and come to the first match, it's removed from the table. This means the value and the key is deleted.
Now the key of the deleten value is assigned to the next value in line. But due the skript will check the value of the next key, this value (whichs kay has been just altered) will never be checked.
I thought, a simple
k = k - 1
after a remove would do the job, but it doesn't.
v = nil
would do great I think, but only if garbage-collector does not do his job in this very moment the pairs iterates to the next value.
Anyone has an idea? I would prefer an text-based hint to a finished syntax which solves the problem.
Don't use table.remove for this. It squeezes the "hole" out of array-like tables. That's not allowed during an iteration using pairs/next. Just set the value to nil.
If you need to squeeze holes out of the table then you can either create a new table and populate it with only the values you want to keep or do the removals during the first pass and then squeeze out holes in a second pass.
Also the order of item traversal when using pairs is not guaranteed in any way.