Re: applications that use Lua

[John Fletcher <J.P.Fletcher@...>]

I am exploring using Lua.  As yet I don't have any finished 
applications, only examples and ideas.

Firstly.  I am working mainly using DOS.  I have built my examples 
with Microsoft Visual C/C++ Version 1.5 with the large memory model.  
It is essential that the same type of addressing is used for data and 
program, as pointers to functions are passed as data.  I get a lot of 
warning messages when I build the library, mainly concerned with 
conversions of integer data types, but the programs work.

I would like to move over to 32 bit DOS using a DOS extender, and 
Windows or Windows 95 possibly using a DLL to hold lua.

I started from the Dr Dobbs article, which mentioned that lua ran 
under DOS, but have seen no makefiles or other advice for DOS.

Developments

I like the idea of a totally flexible data structure which can grow 
as needed.  I would like to apply this to family history data, and 
specifically to conversion of GEDCOM standard data files to HTML for 
display.  GEDCOM files contain only text data and keywords.  I have 
some existing software in C and would like to adapt and improve iot 
using Lua.  I want also for the data base to be persistent.

I have developed a trial persistent database to store two related 
sets of data - book titles and authors.  The main problem is in 
getting Lua to store and restore on numeric keys as well as string 
keys. (See previous comments on the list.)  At the moment this works 
but lacks any interface to input new data items and does not deal 
with deletion or change at all.

I have also been using LuaL from Waldemar Celes to interface C and 
C++ code.  Here the interest is in numerical calculations.  I have 
given Waldemar a simple example of a vector class in C++ interfaced 
so that vectors are available in Lua.  One possible use of this is to 
modularize C++ code so that different sections do not need to see the 
headers of the other sections to be able to use them.  The more 
recent lua++ code from Waldemar provides the other half.  I have only 
just got this working under DOS, so I haven't done anything with it 
yet.

I think one of the attractions of Lua when I read the DrDobbs article 
in a hotel one evening was that I couldn't figure out how to use it!

I hope this is useful and I am willing to have my examples included 
in a contribution section.

John Fletcher



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Dr John P. Fletcher          Tel: (44) 121 359 3611 ext 4625
Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry (CEAC),
Aston University,            Fax: (44) 121 359 4094
Aston Triangle,              Email: J.P.Fletcher@ASTON.AC.UK
BIRMINGHAM B4 7ET  U.K.   
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CEAC Web site http://www.ceac.aston.ac.uk/
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