Lua 5.05.0

author: Lua Team <team@lua.org> 2003-04-11 12:00:00 +0000
committer: repogen <> 2003-04-11 12:00:00 +0000
commit: f0e4e22f5c119865eb5a8d3844a40df2d5980b3b (patch)
tree: c4df063a747e9c99f8aba1678588a030993780a9 /doc/lua.html
parent: 1981b7c90eb09e956e969cda5c473be4560af573 (diff)
download: lua-github-f0e4e22f5c119865eb5a8d3844a40df2d5980b3b.tar.gz
1 files changed, 113 insertions, 89 deletions
diff --git a/doc/lua.html b/doc/lua.html
index ef861bb5..073d4b52 100644
--- a/doc/lua.html
+++ b/doc/lua.html
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<!-- lua.man,v 1.3 2000/09/04 21:41:28 lhf Exp -->
+<!-- lua.man,v 1.8 2003/04/02 00:05:20 lhf Exp -->
 <HTML>
 <HEAD>
 <TITLE>LUA man page</TITLE>
@@ -11,133 +11,157 @@ lua - Lua interpreter
 <H1>SYNOPSIS</H1>
 <B>lua</B>
 [
-<I>arguments</I>
+<I>options</I>
+]
+[
+<I>script</I>
+[
+<I>args</I>
+]
 ]
 <H1>DESCRIPTION</H1>
 <B>lua</B>
 is the stand-alone Lua interpreter.
 It loads and executes Lua programs,
 either in textual source form or
-in precompiled binary form,
-as output by
+in precompiled binary form.
+(Precompiled binaries are output by
 <B>luac</B>,
-the Lua compiler.
+the Lua compiler.)
 <B>lua</B>
 can be used as a batch interpreter and also interactively.
 <P>
-The
-<I>arguments</I>
-can be options, assignments, or filenames,
-and are processed in order,
-from left to right.
+The given
+<I>options</I>
+(see below)
+are executed and then
+the Lua program in file
+<I>script</I>
+is loaded and executed.
+The given
+<I>args</I>
+are available to
+<I>script</I>
+as strings in a global table named
+<B>arg</B>.
+If these arguments contain spaces or other characters special to the shell,
+then they should be quoted
+(but note that the quotes will be removed by the shell).
+The arguments in
+<B>arg</B>
+start at 0,
+which contains the string
+`<I>script</I>'.
+The index of the last argument is stored in
+<B>"arg.n"</B>.
+The arguments given in the command line before
+<I>script</I>,
+including the name of the interpreter,
+are available in negative indices in
+<B>arg</B>.
+<P>
+At the very start,
+before even handling the command line,
+<B>lua</B>
+executes the contents of the environment variable
+<B>LUA_INIT</B>,
+if it is defined.
+If the value of
+<B>LUA_INIT</B>
+is of the form
+`@<I>filename</I>',
+then
+<I>filename</I>
+is executed.
+Otherwise, the string is assumed to be a Lua statement and is executed.
 <P>
 Options start with
 <B>-</B>
 and are described below.
-<P>
-An assignment is an argument of the form
-<B>a=b</B>,
-which assigns the string
-.RB ` b '
-to the global variable
-<B>a</B>.
-Note that no quotes are needed around the string if it does not contain spaces
-or other characters special to the shell.
-This is for convenience only.
-(In general,
-you should be careful when using quotes and spaces on the command line
-because they are usually handled by the shell.)
-<P>
-If the argument is neither an option nor an assignment,
-then it is assumed to be a filename,
-which is then loaded and executed.
+You can use
+<B>"--"</B>
+to signal the end of options.
 <P>
 If no arguments are given,
 then
 <B>"-v -i"</B>
 is assumed when the standard input is a terminal;
 otherwise,
-<B>-</B>
+<B>"-"</B>
 is assumed.
+<P>
+In interactive mode,
+<B>lua</B>
+prompts the user,
+reads lines from the standard input,
+and executes them as they are read.
+If a line does not contain a complete statement,
+then a secondary prompt is displayed and
+lines are read until a complete statement is formed or
+a syntax error is found.
+So, one way to interrupt the reading of an incomplete statement is
+to force a syntax error:
+adding a
+<B>`;' </B>
+in the middle of a statement is a sure way of forcing a syntax error
+(except inside multiline strings and comments; these must be closed explicitly).
+If a line starts with
+<B>`='</B>,
+then
+<B>lua</B>
+displays the values of all the expressions in the remainder of the
+line. The expressions must be separated by commas.
+The primary prompt is the value of the global variable
+<B>_PROMPT</B>,
+if this value is a string;
+otherwise, the default prompt is used.
+Similarly, the secondary prompt is the value of the global variable
+<B>_PROMPT2</B>.
+So,
+to change the prompts,
+set the corresponding variable to a string of your choice.
+You can do that after calling the interpreter
+or on the command line with
+<B>"_PROMPT" "=\'lua: \'"</B>,
+for example.
+(Note the need for quotes, because the string contains a space.)
+The default prompts are ``&gt; '' and ``&gt;&gt; ''.
 <H1>OPTIONS</H1>
 <P>
 <B>-</B>
-load the standard input as a file,
+load and execute the standard input as a file,
 that is,
 not interactively,
 even when the standard input is a terminal.
 <P>
-<B>-c</B>
-close Lua before exiting.
-<P>
 <B>-e "</B><I>stat"</I>
 execute statement
 <I>stat</I>.
-You will need to quote
+You need to quote
 <I>stat </I>
-if it contains spaces or quotes.
-<P>
-<B>-f "</B><I>file"</I>
-collect all remaining arguments as strings into a global table named
-<B>arg</B>
-and then execute
-<I>file</I>.
-The arguments in
-<B>arg</B>
-start at 0,
-which contains the string
-.RI ` file '.
-The index of the last argument is stored in
-<B>"arg.n"</B>.
+if it contains spaces, quotes,
+or other characters special to the shell.
 <P>
 <B>-i</B>
-enter interactive mode,
-displaying a prompt.
-In this mode,
-<B>lua</B>
-reads lines from the standard input and executes them as they are read.
-Each line must contain a complete statement.
-To span a statement across several lines, end each line with a backslash
-<B>`\e'</B>.
-The prompt shown is the value of the global variable
-<B>_PROMPT</B>,
-if this value is a string.
-So,
-to change the prompt,
-set
-<B>_PROMPT</B>
-to a string of your choice.
-You can do that after calling the interpreter
-or on the command line with
-<B>"_PROMPT=\'lua: \'"</B>,
-for example.
-(Note the need for quotes, because the string contains a space.)
-The default prompt is ``&gt; ''.
-<P>
-<B>-q</B>
-enter interactive mode,
-but without displaying a prompt.
+enter interactive mode after
+<I>script</I>
+is executed.
 <P>
-<B>-s</B><I>n</I>
-set the stack size to
-.IB n .
-If present,
-this must be the first option.
-Note that
-<I>n</I>
-is in the same argument as
-<B>-s</B>.
-For example,
-to specify a stack size of 2000,
-use
-<B>-s2000</B>.
+<B>-l "</B><I>file"</I>
+call
+<B>require( file</B><I>)</I>
+before executing
+<I></I>script.
+Typically used to load libraries
+(hence the letter
+<I>l</I>).
 <P>
 <B>-v</B>
-print version information.
+show version information.
 <H1>SEE ALSO</H1>
 <B>luac</B>(1)
 <BR>
-<A HREF="http://www.tecgraf.puc-rio.br/lua/">http://www.tecgraf.puc-rio.br/lua/</A>
+<A HREF="http://www.lua.org/">http://www.lua.org/</A>
 <H1>DIAGNOSTICS</H1>
 Error messages should be self explanatory.
 <H1>AUTHORS</H1>
@@ -145,7 +169,7 @@ R. Ierusalimschy,
 L. H. de Figueiredo,
 and
 W. Celes
-(<A HREF="mailto:lua@tecgraf.puc-rio.br">lua@tecgraf.puc-rio.br</A>)
+(<A HREF="mailto:lua-NO-SPAM-THANKS@tecgraf.puc-rio.br">lua AT tecgraf.puc-rio.br</A>)
 <!-- EOF -->
 </BODY>
 </HTML>
author	Lua Team <team@lua.org>	2003-04-11 12:00:00 +0000
committer	repogen <>	2003-04-11 12:00:00 +0000
commit	f0e4e22f5c119865eb5a8d3844a40df2d5980b3b (patch)
tree	c4df063a747e9c99f8aba1678588a030993780a9 /doc/lua.html
parent	1981b7c90eb09e956e969cda5c473be4560af573 (diff)
download	lua-github-f0e4e22f5c119865eb5a8d3844a40df2d5980b3b.tar.gz