Re: Question on reading config files

[meino.cramer@...]

Coda Highland <chighland@gmail.com> [12-07-16 20:56]:
> On Mon, Jul 16, 2012 at 10:59 AM,  <meino.cramer@gmx.de> wrote:
> > Paul K <paulclinger@yahoo.com> [12-07-16 18:02]:
> >> HI Meino,
> >>
> >> >     for key, value in ipairs{...} do
> >> >     -- something meaningful here
> >> >     end
> >>
> >> You should be using pairs instead of ipairs and you probably get
> >> exactly what you are looking for: 'key' will get values 'first' and
> >> 'second' (with 'value' being the corresponding table value), which you
> >> can then handle in your script any way you want.
> >>
> >> Paul.
> >>
> >> On Sun, Jul 15, 2012 at 8:40 PM,  <meino.cramer@gmx.de> wrote:
> >> > Hi,
> >> >
> >> > Currently I am programming a piece of code what will become a reader
> >> > and handler for config files. The starting point was an example code
> >> > from "Programming in Lua". The final code should read a config file
> >> > with different profiles to setup and handle serial ports so this  is
> >> > only an example.
> >> >
> >> > My config file has this layout currently:
> >> >
> >> >     profile{
> >> >         first={
> >> >             author="Donald E. Knuth",
> >> >             title= "Literate Programming",
> >> >             press= "CSLI",
> >> >             year=  1992
> >> >             },
> >> >         second={
> >> >             author=      "Jon Bentley",
> >> >             title=       "More Programming Pearls",
> >> >             press=       "Addison-Wesley",
> >> >             year=        1990
> >> >             }
> >> >     }
> >> >
> >> > where "first" and "second" are names of different profiles, which the
> >> > user is allowed to name as s/he wants.
> >> >
> >> > A sketch of a snippet of code which reads the config file looks like
> >> > this:
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >     #! /usr/bin/lua
> >> >     local count = 0
> >> >     function profile (...)
> >> >
> >> >     for key, value in ipairs{...} do
> >> >     -- something meaningful here
> >> >     end
> >> >
> >> >     end
> >> >
> >> >     function main()
> >> >     dofile("data")
> >> >     end
> >> >
> >> >     main()
> >> >
> >> > My question is: Is it possible to determine the names of the profiles
> >> > (in my example "first" and "second") from inside the code without
> >> > further input from the user land?
> >> >
> >> > Thank you very much in advance for any help!
> >> >
> >> > Best regards,
> >> > mcc
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > thanks for the replies! :)
> >
> > Unfortunately apparently I am still doing something wrong...
> >
> > This is the contents of the config file. The file is called 'data':
> >
> >
> >     profile{
> >         first={
> >             author="Donald E. Knuth",
> >             title= "Literate Programming",
> >             press= "CSLI",
> >             year=  1992
> >             },
> >         second={
> >             author=      "Jon Bentley",
> >             title=       "More Programming Pearls",
> >             press=       "Addison-Wesley",
> >             year=        1990
> >             }
> >     }
> >
> >
> > This is the program, called 'reader.lua':
> >
> >
> >     #! /usr/bin/lua
> >
> >     function profile (...)
> >       for key, value in pairs{...} do
> >         print( key )
> >         print( value )
> >       end
> >
> >     end
> >
> >     function main()
> >       dofile("data")
> >     end
> >
> >     main()
> >
> >
> > and this is the output it produces:
> >
> >     1
> >     table: 0x23420e0
> >
> >
> > (all listings have been indented by four spaces for readablity
> > reasons)
> >
> > What do I have to change to get the table names ('first",'second')
> > instead of the adress of the table 'profile" (as it seems, since it
> > is only one adress printed) ?
> >
> > Thank you very much for your help and your patience with lua newbie ;)
> >
> > Best regards,
> > mcc
> 
> The code is working exactly how you've written it. ;) Remember that
> the parameter to profile() is itself a table.
> 
> Consider this:
> 
> function profile (cfg)
>     for key, value in pairs(cfg) do
>         print( key )
>         print( value )
>     end
> end
> 
> /s/ Adam
> 


Hi Coda,

yes, I see, that I get only the refrence to the first table...but
again my question:


> > What do I have to change to get the table names ('first",'second')
> > instead of the adress of the table 'profile" (as it seems, since it
> > is only one adress printed) ?


Thank you very much for any help in advance!

Best regards,
mcc