Re: Can full userdata be put back on the stack?

[lua+Steven.Murdoch@...]

> some C function in your engine pushes a function (that happens to be of C
> type) on the LUA stack, lua_pcall() it, and this leaves a full userdata on
> the LUA stack as a result, from which you extract the pointer ?
> If so, I think your full userdata can be collected anytime you call LUA
> again unless you lua_ref() it.

I'll try to be a bit more accurate:

1) Main program M registers the C function A with Lua as "func_a", the C 
function B with Lua as "func_b"

2) M executes loadbuffer with string "x=func_a()" and pcalls it

3) Lua passes control to the C function A which creates a new userdata of 
size, sizeof(int) and sets the value to 42. It also saves the pointer returned 
by lua_newuserdata in the C variable y.

4) Lua assigns the new userdata to Lua variable x and passes control back to M.

5) M executes loadbuffer with string "z=func_b()" and pcalls it

6) Lua passes control to the C function B which pushes the value of y (a 
pointer to userdata) on the Lua stack.
The userdata pointed to by y cannot be garbage collected since it is still 
held by Lua variable x.

7) Lua assigns the userdata to the Lua variable z.

8) After these steps the Lua variables x and y are equal, and if passed to 
another C function registered with Lua and are interpreted as pointers to ints 
they should contain 42.

My questions are 1) Is this recommended, or should setp 6 create a new 
userdata of size sizeof(int) and store 42 in it.
2) If it is recommended then what lua_* function do I use to push the userdata 
pointer onto the stack. Is it lua_pushlightuserdata since that seems to have 
the correct signature.

You can assume that there is no C program which will change the value of a 
userdata. Once it is initialised it will not be changed.

Thank you,
Steven Murdoch.