Re: Lua libraries

[CRIBBSJ <CRIBBSJ@...>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Philippe Lhoste" <PhiLho@gmx.net>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <lua-l@tecgraf.puc-rio.br>
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 12:13 PM
Subject: Re: Lua libraries


> > What I meant to say was that, even though I don't know C at all, I
> > wouldn't have a problem if I had to do what Reuben wrote above in order
> > to have a lua exe on Windows that included the functionality I wanted.
> > I have BCC and Mingw installed on my pc. I would have no problem
> > downloading the lua source dist plus libraries and compiling, if, and
> > here's the rub, if I can get it to work!
>
> Now, I don't follow you. I understand this can be a temporary workaround
to
> allow you to get the job done, but this is not a viable solution.
> I want to be able to write a script, send it to a friend, with a standard
> Lua exe and some needed libraries. Not build him a special exe, or even
less to
> tell him to build his Lua version.
> I mean, you are still a bit beyond the final user playing with a scripting
> language, and not even knowing what a compiler is.
>
> And the biggest problem, I think, is that you can end with several
different
> versions of Lua, if you have scripts to play with OpenGL, some to perform
> HTTP automation (with cURL!), others to generate Flash movies (with
Ming!),
> others to go general Windows (for example) scripting, etc.
> Either you make a very generic Lua to handle all these tasks, and end up
> with a giant exe; or you get n Lua exes, perhaps with n extensions of Lua
> scripts if you want to avoid to manually call the right exe with the right
> script...
>

Oh, I agree with you.  That's why, my first choice would be to have the
ability to have one Lua exe that has the ability to call dlls of Lua library
code.  An example I think of is Tcl.  Tcl has a bunch of user-supplied
libraries that can be downloaded as dlls, as well as pure-Tcl libraries
also.  Its extremely simple for dummies like me to use.  If I want to do
email, I "source smtp.tcl".  If I need to connect to MySQL, I "load
fastbase.dll" (or something like that).  I keep it really simple and ugly.
I usually keep whatever dll's or tcl libs that I need in the same directory
as the script I am running.  I don't really want or need to worry about
LIB_PATHs or AUTO_INCLUDES or pgkindex.tcl (or whaterever they are called).

I don't necessarily want to have to build a special exe of Lua for each
situation myself.  I was just saying that, right now, I would be willing
(and happy) to settle for that, if I could get it to work.

>
> I know most of the readers here know at least a dozen of languages and
think
> that you have to pick the right tool to do the right thing...
> That's true, but one just don't have enough time to learn everything he
> want...

And even if I had the time to learn everything, I'm selfish!   :)   I like
the way Lua fits into my head, therefore, I would like to use it for more of
my scripting needs.  It doesn't mean that its better than Perl, Python, or
Tcl which are probably a better fit for someone else's noggin.

Jamey.