Chunk-within-chunk for multithreading - Lua 6?

[Asko Kauppi <askok@...>]

In my tests with Lua Lanes, multithreaded programming using multiple  
Lua states, I've come to the wish to embed separate chunks of Lua  
code, within surrounding chunks. This can currently be done by using  
strings, but has a few limitations to it:

thread [[
   local a,b,c= ...
   -- ...
   return xx
]]

- Chunks embedded as strings are compiled (syntax checked) at runtime  
(the 'thread' call), not at compile time
- Chunks embedded will have their own line numbering, not that of the  
actual (surrounding) source file
- Chunk source takes up space (as a string) when it could actually be  
stored as a byte-compiled 'chunk'

One could have a special syntactic format of declaring 'sub-chunks',  
solving all the above issues at once. Maybe this could even be done  
as a tkn fltr ;) --not saying the word, i bet there's already people  
fltering out such posts!--

thread @[[
   local a,b,c= ...
   -- ...
   return xx
]]

This would compile the subchunk into a bytecode string, which is then  
the value of the @[[ ... ]] expression. Opinions?

Another approach would be to deal with it function-wise, maybe with a  
new 'chunk' keyword:

thread( chunk( a,b,c )
	  -- ...
	  return xx
	end
      )

This would pass the parameters nicer, but isn't it misleading that  
the resulting value would be a string, not a function. Actually, it  
could even be a function, if that function is a wrapper to ignite the  
thread once called. This would, however, marry threading and chunking  
together in a non-Luaish way.

I would like to hear your comments on this. Doing the @[[ ]] syntax  
would imho be a good start.

Also, are there other usage situations where embedding chunks of code  
within another chunk has surfaced, in your work?

[ The difference to just using functions is, we cannot send closures  
(easily) across separate Lua states (can we?). The chunk is intended  
to be 'the' code that the separate Lua state is to run, and once it  
returns, that state is getting eliminated. ]

-asko