Re: lua-l Digest, Vol 92, Issue 54

["John Hind" <john.hind@...>]

> >>Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2018 11:44:31 -0400
> >>From: Peter Aronoff <telemachus@arpinum.org>
> > >>pairs and ipairs were never supposed to be syntax, they are one of 
> > any
> > >>number of possible implementations of iteration which were intended 
> > to be
> > >>extended by users and library authors.
>
> >>I'm sorry, but just to be clear: are you saying that every module 
> author
> >>should create their own custom iteration? That seems like a huge 
> stretch,
> >>even if we all agree that it’s a strength of Lua that you *can* 
> easily
> >>write your own custom iterators.
I do not understand your point. We are talking about the utility of the 
"__ipairs" metamethod. To use that you effectively have to write another 
function that does what "ipairs" does but differently (if it does it the 
same, you do not need the metamethod). So it is no more effort to 
present that function as a method or as a function in the library.

Of course the need for ipairs itself is also debatable (and has 
frequently here been debated!).