Re: Standard libraries (was Re: Virgin tables)

[Mark Hamburg <mark@...>]

Having pushed for standard libraries, I do think that they should hold to a few principles:

1. They should be optional. You should be able to use Lua just like you can today at the "primitive" level of tables, etc.. In fact, they could enable Lua to get smaller by removing some functionality to optional additional libraries. Small languages with large mandatory class libraries are not simple or small even if the core language is simple.

2. There should be relatively few items in the standard libraries for similar reasons. This is not about adding batteries to Lua. This is about providing standard/recommended ways of dealing with some very common cases. The libraries might end up defining a style for other additions, but those should not lead to a big ball of mud even if it is optional.

Mark