Re: bundled packages

[Adrian Sietsma <adrian_groups@...>]

Diego Nehab wrote:
> Hi,
>
> > I'm playing with "package.alias" so i can set up a mapping (eg. via 
> > luainit), so that require"ltn12" knows to look in socket.dll, without 
> > having to require (and load) socket.
>
>
> How does that work? Is package.alias specific to RC or is it generic
> enough to say: Hey, the entrypoint for package "foo" is actually in the
> library of package "bar". 
That is true for C and RC functions.
Does that even make sense? It would for C, but
> not for Lua.
I agree, it makes no sense for Lua.
There may be a case for different lua search strategies, but I'm not making 
it here.

In my implementation, package.alias is only used if the cRoot and RC loaders 
cannot find a package; in that case it effectively re-tries cRoot and RC 
with package.alias.name as the filename, again using cpath. Apart from 
anything else, it allows me to rename dll's that have name clashes with 
other windows software :
package.alias.socket="luasocket"
VS
package.preload["socket"]=RCload("full_path_to_luasocket_dll","socket").
package.preload["socket.core"]=loadlib("full_path_to_luasocket_dll","socket.core").
package.preload["socket.url"]=...

I have played games with the preload table, but to work in all cases (eg 
require a.b.c), the preload table needs to be filled in for all sub-modules. 
I am trying out the alias approach (which can still be an add-on loader) so 
that package.alias.mime=socket will resolve correctly for require"mime.xyz", 
without needing a whole slew of entries.

> ....
>
> Perhaps findfile should be exported by the package table? Lua Authors?
> I actually suggested this some time ago, off-line I believe.
That would save me replicating it, and make add-on loaders easier to implement.

Adrian.