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diff --git a/doc/lua.html b/doc/lua.html new file mode 100644 index 00000000..073d4b52 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/lua.html @@ -0,0 +1,175 @@ +<!-- lua.man,v 1.8 2003/04/02 00:05:20 lhf Exp --> +<HTML> +<HEAD> +<TITLE>LUA man page</TITLE> +</HEAD> + +<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF"> + +<H1>NAME</H1> +lua - Lua interpreter +<H1>SYNOPSIS</H1> +<B>lua</B> +[ +<I>options</I> +] +[ +<I>script</I> +[ +<I>args</I> +] +] +<H1>DESCRIPTION</H1> +<B>lua</B> +is the stand-alone Lua interpreter. +It loads and executes Lua programs, +either in textual source form or +in precompiled binary form. +(Precompiled binaries are output by +<B>luac</B>, +the Lua compiler.) +<B>lua</B> +can be used as a batch interpreter and also interactively. +<P> +The given +<I>options</I> +(see below) +are executed and then +the Lua program in file +<I>script</I> +is loaded and executed. +The given +<I>args</I> +are available to +<I>script</I> +as strings in a global table named +<B>arg</B>. +If these arguments contain spaces or other characters special to the shell, +then they should be quoted +(but note that the quotes will be removed by the shell). +The arguments in +<B>arg</B> +start at 0, +which contains the string +`<I>script</I>'. +The index of the last argument is stored in +<B>"arg.n"</B>. +The arguments given in the command line before +<I>script</I>, +including the name of the interpreter, +are available in negative indices in +<B>arg</B>. +<P> +At the very start, +before even handling the command line, +<B>lua</B> +executes the contents of the environment variable +<B>LUA_INIT</B>, +if it is defined. +If the value of +<B>LUA_INIT</B> +is of the form +`@<I>filename</I>', +then +<I>filename</I> +is executed. +Otherwise, the string is assumed to be a Lua statement and is executed. +<P> +Options start with +<B>-</B> +and are described below. +You can use +<B>"--"</B> +to signal the end of options. +<P> +If no arguments are given, +then +<B>"-v -i"</B> +is assumed when the standard input is a terminal; +otherwise, +<B>"-"</B> +is assumed. +<P> +In interactive mode, +<B>lua</B> +prompts the user, +reads lines from the standard input, +and executes them as they are read. +If a line does not contain a complete statement, +then a secondary prompt is displayed and +lines are read until a complete statement is formed or +a syntax error is found. +So, one way to interrupt the reading of an incomplete statement is +to force a syntax error: +adding a +<B>`;' </B> +in the middle of a statement is a sure way of forcing a syntax error +(except inside multiline strings and comments; these must be closed explicitly). +If a line starts with +<B>`='</B>, +then +<B>lua</B> +displays the values of all the expressions in the remainder of the +line. The expressions must be separated by commas. +The primary prompt is the value of the global variable +<B>_PROMPT</B>, +if this value is a string; +otherwise, the default prompt is used. +Similarly, the secondary prompt is the value of the global variable +<B>_PROMPT2</B>. +So, +to change the prompts, +set the corresponding variable to a string of your choice. +You can do that after calling the interpreter +or on the command line with +<B>"_PROMPT" "=\'lua: \'"</B>, +for example. +(Note the need for quotes, because the string contains a space.) +The default prompts are ``> '' and ``>> ''. +<H1>OPTIONS</H1> +<P> +<B>-</B> +load and execute the standard input as a file, +that is, +not interactively, +even when the standard input is a terminal. +<P> +<B>-e "</B><I>stat"</I> +execute statement +<I>stat</I>. +You need to quote +<I>stat </I> +if it contains spaces, quotes, +or other characters special to the shell. +<P> +<B>-i</B> +enter interactive mode after +<I>script</I> +is executed. +<P> +<B>-l "</B><I>file"</I> +call +<B>require( file</B><I>)</I> +before executing +<I></I>script. +Typically used to load libraries +(hence the letter +<I>l</I>). +<P> +<B>-v</B> +show version information. +<H1>SEE ALSO</H1> +<B>luac</B>(1) +<BR> +<A HREF="http://www.lua.org/">http://www.lua.org/</A> +<H1>DIAGNOSTICS</H1> +Error messages should be self explanatory. +<H1>AUTHORS</H1> +R. Ierusalimschy, +L. H. de Figueiredo, +and +W. Celes +(<A HREF="mailto:lua-NO-SPAM-THANKS@tecgraf.puc-rio.br">lua AT tecgraf.puc-rio.br</A>) +<!-- EOF --> +</BODY> +</HTML> |