__tostring และ __len

เมธอดแปลงค่า __tostring

local Point = {}
Point.__index = Point
Point.__tostring = function(p)
  return string.format("Point(%.2f, %.2f)", p.x, p.y)
end

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

local p = Point.new(3.14, 2.72)
print(p)            -- Point(3.14, 2.72)
print(tostring(p))  -- Point(3.14, 2.72)

__len สำหรับลำดับ

local Queue = {}
Queue.__index = Queue
Queue.__len = function(q) return q._tail - q._head + 1 end

function Queue.new()
  return setmetatable({_data={},_head=1,_tail=0}, Queue)
end
function Queue:push(v)
  self._tail = self._tail + 1
  self._data[self._tail] = v
end
function Queue:pop()
  if self._head > self._tail then return nil end
  local v = self._data[self._head]
  self._head = self._head + 1
  return v
end

local q = Queue.new()
q:push("a"); q:push("b"); q:push("c")
print(#q)   -- 3

__tostring แบบละเอียดสำหรับการแก้จุดบกพร่อง

local function tableToString(t, depth)
  depth = depth or 0
  if depth > 3 then return "{...}" end
  local parts = {}
  for k, v in pairs(t) do
    if type(v) == "table" then
      parts[#parts+1] = k.."="..tableToString(v, depth+1)
    else
      parts[#parts+1] = k.."="..tostring(v)
    end
  end
  return "{"..table.concat(parts,", ").."}"
end

local obj = {name="test", data={x=1,y=2}, active=true}
print(tableToString(obj))

__len เทียบกับตัวดำเนินการ #

-- Table with hole: # is unpredictable
local t = {10, 20, nil, 40}
print(#t)  -- could be 2 or 4, undefined!

-- Custom container with authoritative length
local SafeList = {}
SafeList.__index = SafeList
SafeList.__len = function(s) return s._size end

function SafeList.new()
  return setmetatable({_data={}, _size=0}, SafeList)
end
function SafeList:add(v)
  self._size = self._size + 1
  self._data[self._size] = v
end
local s = SafeList.new()
s:add(1); s:add(nil); s:add(3)
print(#s)   -- 3 (always correct)

__tostring ในข้อความข้อผิดพลาด

local function makeError(code, msg)
  return setmetatable(
    {code=code, message=msg},
    {__tostring = function(e)
      return string.format("Error[%d]: %s", e.code, e.message)
    end}
  )
end

local ok, err = pcall(function()
  error(makeError(404, "resource not found"))
end)

if not ok then
  -- err is the error object (table)
  print(tostring(err))  -- may show table address...

__tostring กับการสืบทอด

local Animal = {}
Animal.__index = Animal
Animal.__tostring = function(a)
  return string.format("%s(%s)", a._type or "Animal", a.name or "?")
end

function Animal.new(name, atype)
  return setmetatable({name=name, _type=atype}, Animal)
end

local cat = Animal.new("Whiskers", "Cat")
local dog = Animal.new("Rex", "Dog")
print(cat)  -- Cat(Whiskers)
print(dog)  -- Dog(Rex)

การสร้างเซตด้วย __len และ __tostring

local Set = {}
Set.__index = Set
Set.__len = function(s) return s._size end
Set.__tostring = function(s)
  local items = {}
  for k in pairs(s._data) do items[#items+1]=tostring(k) end
  table.sort(items)
  return "Set{" .. table.concat(items,", ") .. "}"
end

function Set.new(...)
  local obj = setmetatable({_data={},_size=0}, Set)
  for _, v in ipairs({...}) do
    if not obj._data[v] then obj._data[v]=true; obj._size=obj._size+1 end
  end
  return obj
end

local s = Set.new(3,1,4,1,5,9,2,6)
print(#s)         -- 7 (duplicates removed)
print(tostring(s)) -- Set{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9}

วัตถุเชิงตัวเลขที่มีทั้งสองเมธอด

local Frac = {}
Frac.__index = Frac

local function gcd(a,b) return b==0 and a or gcd(b,a%b) end

function Frac.new(n,d)
  local g = gcd(math.abs(n), math.abs(d))
  return setmetatable({n=n//g, d=d//g}, Frac)
end

Frac.__tostring = function(f)
  if f.d==1 then return tostring(f.n) end
  return f.n .. "/" .. f.d
end

Frac.__add = function(a,b)
  return Frac.new(a.n*b.d + b.n*a.d, a.d*b.d)
end

local a = Frac.new(1,2)
local b = Frac.new(1,3)
print(a + b)   -- 5/6

การแทนที่พฤติกรรมเริ่มต้นของ print

local Color = {}
Color.__index = Color
Color.__tostring = function(c)
  return string.format("#%02X%02X%02X", c.r, c.g, c.b)
end

function Color.new(r,g,b)
  return setmetatable({r=r,g=g,b=b}, Color)
end

local red   = Color.new(255,0,0)
local green = Color.new(0,255,0)
local blue  = Color.new(0,0,255)

print(red, green, blue)
-- #FF0000  #00FF00  #0000FF

__name ใน Lua 5.3 ขึ้นไป

local MyType = {}
MyType.__index = MyType
MyType.__name = "MyType"   -- used in error messages
MyType.__tostring = function(t)
  return "MyType(" .. tostring(t.value) .. ")"
end

local obj = setmetatable({value=42}, MyType)
print(obj)             -- MyType(42)

-- Error message will say "MyType" instead of "table"
-- pcall(function() local x = obj + 1 end)

ตรวจสอบด่วน

ทบทวน: __tostring และ __len