Revision as of 11:31, 5 December 2011

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
.map(typename, typedef) types
.map(varname,item) globalvars
.list(returnvalues) returns

TypeDef

There are some primitive type like string, number, boolean, any, nil, table, function (we must define it more precisely)
TypeDef allow users to define, theirs own types.
There are 2 kind of typedef.

typeDef=recordDef | functionDef

a recordTypeDef could be used to define a type of record(a tuple), a module or an object. (it's surely a subtype of table)

recordTypeDef
.string shortdescription
.string description
.map(fieldname,item) fields

a functionTypeDef allow to define a type of function. Most of the time, the type and the item which hold it is merged. Maybe, it could be usefull to named a type of function (for iterator perhaps)

funtionTypeDef
.string shortdescription
.string description
.list(parameter) params
.list(returnvalues) returns

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: Hidden and optional does not need to be in the 1st version.

Item

item
.string name
.string description
.typeref type 

Remarks: Not sure an item has a name.
Remarks: Perhaps, Item could be use for parameters..

TypeRef

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

typeref: externaltyperef | internaltyperef |primitivetyperef

externaltyperef
.string modulename
.string typename

internaltyperef
.string typename

primitivetyperef
.string typename

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.

Documentation Language

--- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- short description.
-- long description
-- @file  
-- @return typeref, typeref description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- short description.
-- long descrition 
-- @recordtype recordtypename
-- @field[type=typeref] field1name description
-- @field[type=typeref] field2name description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- short description.
-- long descrition
-- @function[global] name 
-- @param[type=typeref, optional=boolean, hidden=boolean] param1name description
-- @param[type=typeref, optional=boolean, hidden=boolean] param2name description
-- @return typeref,typeref decription
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- short description.
-- long descrition
-- @function[racoonmodule] name 
-- @param[type=typeref, optional=boolean, hidden=boolean] name description
-- @return typeref,typeref decription
-- @return typeref,typeref decription
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------