Code Customization Options

[captkirk88]

Is there a way to add custom expressions to the language? The ability to extend the language in anyway?

I would like to add custom keywords like

world myVar = 9000 -- this variable would be available to the world not just local scope
-- or
thread myFunc(args)
-- execute code on separate thread
end

Is there anyway to open up the api to allow that?

[neolithos]

To add keywords you need to change the parser. Because, I have no idea how the API should be designed to reach this target.

But for both changes there are ways in Lua.

• For the world variables I normally connect the lua tables with a parent child relation.
• For threads I added a extension to the lua threads.

Thing about it. The thread keyword sounds interesting. How should this work exactly?

[captkirk88]

The idea for the threaded function is just to make the syntax direct and simple. It would act like a task and the user would be able to check the state of the task in the function using the self keyword

thread myFunc(args)
-- do stuff on separate thread
if (self.IsCompleted) then DoAnotherFunction() end
end

I haven't delved into the parser code too much because that stuff always gives me a headache. It would be pretty neat if you added the ability to extend the parser and generate custom expressions. It would be worth the headache.

[neolithos]

I will take care of the thread stuff. But I will have it compatible to the Task-Library.

But I have no idea to open the parser, may be I will see a article about this topic.

[captkirk88]

Thanks! Can't wait to try it out.

[captkirk88]

I was wondering if maybe you could also add a keyword in for defining classes in Lua. Particularly, classes that can inherit from an interface and then be loaded in C# for interoperability with a API. Unless I missed something and this is already possible, then never mind.

[neolithos]

On the threading stuff I am still on, but currently I am short on time.

This is a nice idea, I also had, but the problems are:

• The DLR is not designed for defining classes. There is currently no DynamicClass, like DynamicMethod
• To create a type, you need to define a dynamic assembly. But as fare I know this is not possible in the portable scope.
• The language is not designed to support classes. Scoping of the local variables will be different within a method (closures/upvalues).

The solution might be:

• to support this feature only on the desktop
• to find a elegant way to add this feature to the language, without voilating concepts of the language (closures/upvalues).

Thanks, for your input.