Re: RES: package system modification (module loaders)

[duck <duck@...>]

> > 	Also, Lua 5.1 work 4 contains an oficial implementation of
> > the "packaging proposal" :-)
> 
> I have that, but not being familiar with Lua I can't pick
> the difference from the old system just by examining the code.

Roberto's email from mid-ish September 2004 sort of lays it out.

I'm no expert, but AFAICS the main advances in the new packaging 
system are:

1. package.loaded to replace _LOADED, whereby require() (or you) can see 
if something is already loaded and initialised;

2. package.preload, whereby you can easily statically link an extension 
module and save its init function so that a later require() can call it 
at run time;

3. require() seamlessly handles dynamically-linked extension libs, 
statically-linked but not-yet-initted extension libs, and Lua code in 
source or compiled form;

4. hierarchical naming, so that you can name modules "fruit.mango" and
"fruit.banana" and have them loaded into the package tree separately.

I hope I have the terms packages and modules straight :-)

>From my point of view (single-EXE non-unpacking scripts on Windows)
the package.preload table is the most useful part. Simple and effective.