#Lua print table how to#
#Lua print table code#

We're using this table as a sequence: a group of items keyed by integers. For example: - Create a table to store the types of pets we like. Avoiding gaps in tables used as arrays Defining our termsīy array here we mean a Lua table used as a sequence. It uses the table.insert() to append the randomly extracted element onto the end of same table, and the table.remove() to randomly extract an element from the remaining unshuffled portion of the table. It implements the Fisher-Yates Shuffle, perhaps inefficiently. Table.insert(t, table.remove(t, math.random(#t-i)))

#Lua print table code#

Leveraging that, you can write code like the example below.

As you might be able to tell the second method of calling table.insert() and table.remove() provides stack semantics to tables. These two functions mutate the given table. Creating tablesĬreating an empty table is as simple as this: local empty_table =, r = 'e' When coding for a table with a sequence, it is important to avoid breaking the sequence Only remove the last element or use a function, like the standard table.remove, that shifts elements down to close the gap. Iterators would no longer see the related key. Setting a value in a table to nil removes it from the table. Certain standard operations and functions only work on the sequence of a table and some have non-deterministic behavior when applied to a table without a sequence. Other languages call this a 1-based array. The key-value pairs with positive integer keys are the elements of the sequence. So, for example, one table could contain strings, functions, booleans, numbers, and even other tables as values or keys.Ī Lua table with consecutive positive integer keys beginning with 1 is said to have a sequence. The items contained in a table can be a mixture of Lua types. Lua does not enforce any particular rules on how tables are used. Finally, tables can be used to build classes in Lua and to create a module system. Many structural patterns can be built with tables: stacks, queues, sets, lists, graphs, etc. As such, a Lua table can resemble a dictionary, hashmap or associative array from other languages. This is either elegant simplicity or confusing, depending on how you look at it.Ī Lua table is a collection of key-value pairs where the keys are unique and neither the key nor the value is nil. It just assigns a new index that's one above the last value, inserting a value at the very end of an array.Tables are the only built-in data structure available in Lua. Local function ConvertDictionaryToArray(d)įor i,v in next, d do - Iterate the dictionaryĪrray = v - This is basically table.insert. We can simply use brackets with the given random number on the table to return the random value, like this: local Table =

#Lua print table how to#

Well, this should be pretty simple at this point if you know how to index an array-styled table. Now for the actual part of your question, getting the random value. If you wanted a decimal number larger than 1, you could simply multiply the result: print(math.random()*100) - > Random decimal number between 0 and 100 Here's an example: print(math.random()) - > Some decimal between 0 and 1 Which will return a random decimal between 0 and 1. The only way you can get a random decimal number, is by calling math.random() with no arguments. Even if you provide a number with a decimal. It's important to note that math.random only returns whole numbers. Like this: print(math.random(10,20)) - > Random number between 10 and 20

This new range will return a random number between the first argument, and the second. Or, we could create our own range of numbers by providing the function with a second argument. Like this: print(math.random(10)) - > Random number between 1 and 10 Here are some examples:īy returning a single number to this function, it will generate a random number between 1, and whatever number you gave it. The amount of arguments you give this function will effect the outcome in different ways. Meaning the argument we must input, has to be a number. In case this wasn't clear from the introduction above, math.random only deals with numbers. We can utilize this randomly generated number in many ways, and in this case, solve the problem of receiving a random value from your array. This function has a very simple mechanic to it you input a number, and it outputs a random number given the range. What you're looking for is the math.random function in the math library.