Re: require etc (was Re: globals (_locals))

["Nick Trout" <nick@...>]

John:
>>I'm tending to think the same way these days.  I view Lua as
second-to-none
in the areas of configuration and embedded scripting.  As a "system"
scripting language however, compared to solutions like Python or Perl, it
falls short.  This is not a negative view of Lua-- I don't think one
solution could cover all these areas perfectly.  Anyway I'm not looking for
something to replace Python for general scripting on my PC.  On the other
hand Lua has opened up new windows for small apps on big and small systems,
what Python and the rest could never do.

Ditto. Thats how I see it (but no Perl :-) ) Choose the right tool for the
job and you save yourself a headache - and a lot of work.

>>Trying to stretch Lua to become a competitive system scripting language
may
be a mistake.  (I'm not criticizing the Lua authors.  They understood where
their language fits way before I even knew what Lua was.  Some users, on the
other hand, may be trying too hard to use Lua for anything and everything.)

I think the design goals of the authors is clear to regular readers here and
I'm very happy with the languages development (smaller, faster, flexible,
simple). It has more power than I ever use to be honest.

>> As an example take the "require" function, on-deck for the next release.
I
think it will be a good example of how to implement module loading.  I don't
think it will be something that will suddenly allow us all to trade Lua
modules.
>> Even more
than the module system implementation, this problem exists with the module
contents itself.  Trying to stretch Lua in such areas looks futile to me.

I'm not sure a set of libraries will ever exist, or can. Lua is much more of
a pick and mix language than, say, Python. Your chosen meta mechanisms may
conflict with any "standard" libraries thus causing problems. Each time I
embed Lua in something it tends to have a different direction. Very little
is shared - admittedly each project is a learning experience and you
(hopefully) improve your system. I have been trying to cut bits from the
mailing list and putting them on the Wiki sites, for my, and everyone elses,
record. If we had a library of useful code snippets and mechanisms for
implementing various functionality then people can build their own system
from "components" rather than "libraries". I think the mindset for
implementing stuff in Lua is a bit different to "more traditional" popular
languages like Python and C and C++. Sometimes you just need pointing in the
right direction. Use the Wiki!!

N