embedded Lua loading modules programmatically (C++)

Question

I am embedding Lua in a C++ application.

I have some modules (for now, simple .lua scripts) that I want to load programmatically, as the engine is being started, so that when the engine starts, the module(s) is/are available to scripts without them having to include a require 'xxx' at the top of the script.

In order to do this, I need to be able to programmatically (i.e. C++ end), ask the engine to load the modules, as part of the initialisation (or shortly thereafter).

Anyone knows how I can do this?

snogglethorpe · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-28 21:46:14Z

5

Hmm, I just use the simple approach: My C++ code just calls Lua's require function to pre-load the Lua scripts I want preloaded!

// funky = require ("funky")
//
lua_getfield (L, LUA_GLOBALSINDEX, "require"); // function
lua_pushstring (L, "funky");     // arg 0: module name
err = lua_pcall (L, 1, 1, 0);
// store funky module table in global var
lua_setfield (L, LUA_GLOBALSINDEX, "funky");

// ... later maybe handle a non-zero value of "err"
// (I actually use a helper function instead of lua_pcall
// that throws a C++ exception in the case of an error)

If you've got multiple modules to load, of course, put it in a loop... :)

edited Oct 28, 2011 at 21:46

answered Oct 28, 2011 at 20:26

snogglethorpe

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Comments

lhf · Accepted Answer · 2010-12-24 11:21:02Z

4

The easiest way is to add and edit a copy of linit.c to your project.

answered Dec 24, 2010 at 11:21

lhf

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2 Comments

skyeagle Over a year ago

Suppose my module is in /usr/local/lua/script/mymodule.lua, how would I modify linit.c to get the functionality required?. I have looked at the source code, and it seems to be for C packages not Lua scripts - am I missing something?

lhf Over a year ago

@skyeagle: Sorry, I assumed a C module. For a Lua module, you can set the environment variable LUA_INIT to say @loadmymodules.lua and in that load all your Lua modules with require.

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