From 73af6baafa1dec14fc3cbf52afd8bf963a4fb466 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: =?UTF-8?q?Enrique=20Garc=C3=ADa=20Cota?= Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2011 02:46:52 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] updated readme --- README.textile | 91 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 91 insertions(+) diff --git a/README.textile b/README.textile index 4883763..e8c4453 100644 --- a/README.textile +++ b/README.textile @@ -6,9 +6,100 @@ The objective here is human understanding (i.e. for debugging), not serializatio h1. Examples of use +"Array-like" tables are rendered horizontally: + +
inspect({1,2,3,4}) == "{ 1, 2, 3, 4 }"
+ +"dictionary-like" tables are rendered with one element per line: + +
inspect({a=1,b=2}) == [[{
+  a = 1,
+  b = 2
+}]]
+ +The keys will be sorted alphanumerically when possible. + +"Hybrid" tables will have the array part on the first line, and the dictionary part just below them: + +
+inspect({1,2,3,a=1,b=2}) == [[{ 1, 2, 3,
+  a = 1,
+  b = 2
+}]]
+
+ +Tables can be nested, and will be indented with two spaces per level. + +
+inspect({a={b=2}}) = [
+  a = {
+    b = 2
+  }
+}]]
+
+ +By default, @inspect@ will stop rendering at a depth of 4 levels. When that point is reached, it will just return @{...}@ : + +
+local t5 = {a = {b = {c = {d = {e = 5}}}}}
+inspect(t5) == [[
+  a = {
+    b = {
+      c = {
+        d = {...}
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}]]
+
+ +You can increase/decrease the max depth with the second parameter: + +
+inspect(t5, 2) == [[{
+  a = {
+    b = {...}
+  }
+}]])
+
+inspect(t5, 7) == [[{
+  a = {
+    b = {
+      c = {
+        d = {
+          e = 5
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}]])
+
+ +Functions, userdata and threads are simply rendered as @@, @@ and @@ respectively: + +
+inspect({ f = print, ud = some_user_data, thread = a_thread} ) == [[{
+  f = ,
+  u = ,
+  thread = 
+}]])
+
+ + +If the table has a metatable, inspect will include it at the end, in a special field called @@: + +
+inspect(setmetatable({a=1}, {b=2}) == [[{
+  a = 1
+   = {
+    b = 2
+  }
+}]])
+
h1. Gotchas / Warnings +This method is *not* appropiate for saving/restoring tables. It is ment to be used by the programmer mainly while debugging a program. h1. Installation