LDT/Developer Area/Lua API Model 2

Lua API Model

The idea is to define a model of the external API of a lua file, a way to express a contract.
This model will be used as input of:

• a documentation generator,
• auto-completion engine,
• type checking at ide side.

File

A lua file declare some global variable and types. A file return values (this is the value you get when you require this file)

file
.string shortdescription
.string description
.list(typedef) types
.list(index) globalvars
.list(returnvalues) returns

TypeDef

there are 2 (or 3) kind of typedef (oO)

typeDef=recordDef | functionDef | scalarDef

a recorddef could be used to define a type of record(a tuple), a module or an object. (there are still some questions about "method")

recordDef
.(string name) (anoymous recordDef could have no name)
.string shortdescription
.string description
.list(index) fields

a functiondef allow to define a type of function. Most of the time, this function definition will be anonymous. But some times it could be usefull to name a kind of function (iterator function perhaps)

funtionDef
.(string name) (anoymous functionDef could have no name)
.string shortdescription
.string description
.list(parameter) params
.list(returnvalues) returns

There are probably some scalar type which could not be instanciate by user (string,number,boolean,nil,self,any)

ScalarDef
.string name

Parameter

parameter
.string name 
.typeref type
.string description
(.boolean optional)
(.boolean hidden)

Remarks: Hidden could be usefull, if we have a parameter we don't want to expose in the API Remarks: Perhaps hidden and optional does not need to be in the 1st version.

Index

Questions?: Not sure Index was a good name Questions?: Must we make a difference between Parameter and index

index
.string name
.string shortdescription
.string description
.typeref type 

TypeRef

It's a reference to a type. There 3 kind of reference.

typeref: externaltyperef | internaltyperef |inlinetyperef

externaltyperef
.string modulename
.string typename

internaltyperef
.string typename

inlinetyperef
.typedef
 

Return values

a values return has references to a type define in the lua file. a values return is a list of possible value to return.

e.g. if a function return a number or nil and err. you function will have 2 return values : - number a result - nil, err if an error occured

return
.list(typeref) types
.string description
(.defaultuse)

Remarks: Perhaps we could have a defaultuse entry to define the return value the type checking should use.