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On Mon, Aug 20, 2018, 14:54 Bill Kelsoe <wildbillkelsoe@gmail.com> wrote:
Hello.
I am trying to create my first function. However, page 14 in Refman for function calls lists the syntax as functioncall --> prefixexp args

what are these? I am new to programming guys. Are these evaluee values or the variables? Is there any book that teaches kindergarten or primary kids these terms? I am really frustrated. I dont even know what garbage collection means. why would I collect garbage 😂

Hell even tables, I am trying to grasp them but I suppose they ease program execution by recalling the so called structured data faster. I thought to myself maybe tables are rows and columns where you populate it with data and then recall the data. Also, is it correct that said tables are also called matrices or do these apply to vectors (with caveat the last contact I had with vectors was high school) only. 

So how do you populate or even draw said table on the IDE or zerobrane or LDT? I suppose you require certain libraries? like drawing libraries? Some forums mentioned cairo or love? something that does it via code. How do you split a table to say three columns, five rows, add indices?? or keys?? I also know by reading that foreign keys are different to perhaps internal keys of the table?

It appears I am way in over my head. The real purpose about programming for me is to script some missions in a game that uses lua as the primary scripting language for units. We all make mistakes right. 😒

Do you have experience programming with other languages? Either way, you'd probably benefit more from a Lua tutorial than from the manual; the manual is to refer to when you need to know exactly how some feature works.

Tables are a data structure, like arrays and lists; they're not necessarily something you draw on the screen, and don't have rows and columns per se. They're basically dicts, with optimization under the hood to use them as arrays.

Sorry if this sounds condescending; it's not my intention. I have no idea how much you do or don't know, so I'm erring on the side of caution.