मेटाटेबल का परिचय

local Animal = {sound = "...", legs = 4}

local Dog = setmetatable({sound = "Woof"}, {__index = Animal})
local Cat = setmetatable({sound = "Meow"}, {__index = Animal})

print(Dog.sound)   -- Woof (own field)
print(Dog.legs)    -- 4 (from Animal)
print(Cat.sound)   -- Meow
print(Cat.legs)    -- 4

local dynamic = setmetatable({}, {
  __index = function(t, k)
    if k:sub(1,4) == "get_" then
      local field = k:sub(5)
      return function(self) return self[field] end
    end
    return nil
  end
})

dynamic.name = "Lua"
local getter = dynamic.get_name
print(getter(dynamic))   -- Lua

local logged = setmetatable({}, {
  __newindex = function(t, k, v)
    print("Setting", k, "=", v)
    rawset(t, k, v)  -- bypass __newindex
  end
})

logged.x = 10   -- Setting x = 10
logged.x = 20   -- no log! key now exists in t
print(logged.x) -- 20

local Mt = {
  __index = {
    greet = function(self)
      print("Hello from " .. (self.name or "?"))
    end
  }
}

local a = setmetatable({name="Alice"}, Mt)
local b = setmetatable({name="Bob"},   Mt)

a:greet()   -- Hello from Alice
b:greet()   -- Hello from Bob

local secret = setmetatable({}, {
  __metatable = false,    -- hide metatable
  __index = {value = 42}
})

print(secret.value)        -- 42
print(getmetatable(secret)) -- false (not the real mt)
-- setmetatable(secret, {}) -- ERROR

local MyClass = {}
MyClass.__index = MyClass
MyClass.__metatable = MyClass   -- use self as marker

function MyClass.new(x)
  return setmetatable({x=x}, MyClass)
end

local obj = MyClass.new(5)
print(getmetatable(obj) == MyClass)   -- true
print(obj.x)                           -- 5

local s = "hello"
local mt = getmetatable(s)

-- String metatable has __index = string library
print(mt.__index == string)   -- true

-- So all string functions are methods:
print(s:upper())              -- HELLO
print(s:rep(3, "-"))          -- hello-hello-hello

local Point = {}
Point.__index = Point
Point.__tostring = function(p)
  return string.format("Point(%g, %g)", p.x, p.y)
end

function Point.new(x, y)
  return setmetatable({x=x,y=y}, Point)
end

local p = Point.new(3, 4)
print(tostring(p))   -- Point(3, 4)
print(p)             -- Point(3, 4)  (print calls tostring)