RE: LuaPlus

["Joshua Jensen" <jjensen@...>]

> So, then I found this distribution called LuaPlus
> (http://workspacewhiz.com/LuaPlus/index.html) which basically 
> wraps everything up very nicely. Now, my question is if 
> anyone has any experience with LuaPlus

I wrote it, and it is used in several commercial projects.  What do you need
to know?

> and if anyone has got 
> it working under Linux (all information on the homepage leads 
> me to believe that it is mainly developed for windows).

I do develop exclusively on Windows.  I am aware of at least one company who
took the codebase and ported it to Linux, but I assume they weren't able to
submit the modifications back to me.  My understanding, though, was that
they got it working with minimal effort.

> Also, there is alot in that distribution that I don't need; 
> so I was thinking about taking out the parts that I want 
> (away with the windows-specific stuff and everything that 
> modifies the lua core) and compile a new package that is more 
> portable, and perhaps even smaller.

I'm not sure what the point of this would be?  LuaPlus extends Lua with new,
useful features.  LuaPlus is called LuaPlus because it is Lua _plus_ some
more features the Lua authors didn't feel belonged in Lua.  Stripping out
the changes made to the Lua core would mean features like the non-stack
based LuaObject wouldn't be possible or that direct calls to C++ member
functions couldn't happen in an efficient manner.  The list goes on and on
here.  You'd be better off grabbing a library like LuaBind or just writing
your own wrapper.

> Would anyone like to help 
> me with this task? Is there interest at all, or should I just 
> be quiet and do the changes for my application but not make 
> it official?

Certainly you are free to do whatever you want with the LuaPlus code.
However, in my opinion, LuaPlus fills a different niche than Lua does.
LuaPlus integrates nicely with C++, and since I make commercial games, it
was necessary to do so in the most efficient way possible.  That meant
modifications to the Lua core.  There are facilities provided by LuaPlus I
wish the Lua authors would adopt, such as a global metatable for strings or
the replacement of the Lua memory macros with callbacks (the macros are not
enough to make multiple Lua states work within different heaps).  This would
bring the Lua core and LuaPlus core more in line with one another.  Still,
both products serve their purpose.

If you port LuaPlus to Linux, I'd be interested in receiving your changes.
Otherwise, good luck in your endeavors.

Josh