Run a string as lua code to call a function with only the function name

Question

I am making a dynamic callback table for a helper function that handles input events. I want to make a(testString) execute when functionTable[1](testString) executes or allow a way for it to be run directly from a string.

functionTable = {}
testString = "atad atad atad"

function a(param)
    print(param)
end

functionTable[1] = "a"

exec(functionTable[1].."(testString)")

How should I be doing this?

(for Lua 5.1)

Vinni Marcon · Accepted Answer · 2020-09-07 05:17:03Z

2

you can use the load() function to execute strings:

functionTable = {}
testString = "atad atad atad"

function a(param)
    print("hello " .. param)
end

functionTable[1] = "a"

load(functionTable[1].."(testString)")()

answered Sep 7, 2020 at 5:17

Vinni Marcon

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5 Comments

Grify Dev Over a year ago

This works, thank you! Why is the second pair of parentheses necessary?

Vinni Marcon Over a year ago

@GrifyDev it is because load() is a function that just collects a string and transforms it into a real execution, however it is necessary that we call the function inside load() so that we can actually execute it and collect its return

Grify Dev Over a year ago

I meant the () here

Grify Dev Over a year ago

load(functionTable[1].."(testString)")__()__

Vinni Marcon Over a year ago

yes exactly, load() will only convert the string to an executable, but we still need to call it by the function being called inside load()

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