I am trying to create a Lua function "on the fly", from within another function. The new Lua function, to be called "fx", should operate on a scalar variable -- say, x -- and return f_x(x), where f_x(x) could be something such as "x+1" or "x^2". Importantly, the function name "fx" is given (as it will be used, with this name, from within other functions), but its properties -- specifically, whether it returns "x+1" or "x^2" -- should be modifiable dynamically.
Suppose that "x" is the scalar-valued input variable and that "y" is a string that contains an instruction, such as "x+1" or "x^2", that "fx" is supposed to impose on "x". I've naively tried
function make_func (x,y)
return ( function fx(x) return y end )
end
but that doesn't work.
Any help and guidance will be greatly appreciated!
It's not clear how "fx" is supposed to enter the picture, but if you have a string that contains potentially executable Lua code (a Lua expression which would compile if done so in a context where "x" exists), then this seems to be a simple case of building a string from bits of Lua code and executing it:
function make_func (x, lua_op)
return dostring("return function(x) return " .. lua_op .. " end")
end
This requires lua_op to store a string which is a legitimate Lua expression.
If you want to store the function in the global variable "fx", you can do that before returning it:
function make_func (x, lua_op)
fx = dostring("return function(x) return " .. lua_op .. " end")
return fx
end
Related
I'm working on a MATLAB app that programatically creates anonymous functions to evaluate any native MATLAB function and pass it a list of variables as argument. In the example below, 'formula' contains a string with the function and arguments to be evaluated (e.g., "sum( var1, var2 )" ). The formulas sometimes contain function calls nested within function calls, so the code below would be used recursively until obtaining the final result:
Func2 = str2func( sprintf( '#(%s) %s', strjoin( varNames, ',' ), formula ) );
This evaluates fine for native MATLAB functions. But there's a particular case of a function (named Func1) I made myself that not only needs the list of variables but also an object as argument, like this:
function output = Func1( anObject, varNames )
% do some stuff with the object and the vars
end
For this particular function, I've tried doing this:
Func2 = str2func( sprintf( '#(%s,%s) %s', "objectToPassToFunc1", strjoin( varNames, ',' ), "Func1(objectToPass,""" + strjoin( varNames, '","' ) +""")" ) )
...which doesn't throw an error, but Func1 doesn't receive the objectToPassToFunc1, instead it gets values from one of the variables in varNames. And I don't know why.
So how can I correctly pass the object to Func1????
Matlab doesn't care about the type of arguments you pass to a function. As a matter of fact, the input could be scalar, vector, matrix, and even an object of a class. See the following example.
classdef ClassA
methods
function print(~)
disp('method print() is called.');
end
end
end
This class has only one method. Now, let us define an anonymous function func which accepts one input.
func = #(arg) arg.print;
Notice that we explicitly assume that the input is an object of ClassA. If you pass another type of data to this function, Matlab will throw an error. To test the code,
obj = ClassA;
func = #(arg) arg.print;
func(obj)
To avoid the error, you may need to check the type of the input before using it. For example,
function [] = func(arg)
% check if arg is an object of ClassA
if isa(arg,'ClassA')
arg.print;
end
end
Now you can pass different types for the input without getting an error.
I have a function that takes a vector as a parameter, scan this vector and generates a random word. It's expected from me that the generated words' letters are different from each other. So, I want to check it with a simple if-else condition inside the same function. If all letters are different, function returns this word. If not, I need to use the same function which I am already inside while using conditions. But first parameter that I used in the main function doesn't work when I attempt to use it for the second time. Here the generateaRandomWord(vector a) function:
vector<string> currentVector;
string generateaRandomWord(vector<string> a) {
currentVector = a;
string randomWord;
int randomNumber = rand() % currentVector.size();
randomWord = currentVector.at(randomNumber);
if (hasUniqueChars(randomWord)) {
return randomWord;
}
else {
generateaRandomWord(currentVector);
}
}
I thought that it is a good idea to keep a vector (currentVector) outside of the function. So, for the first time I use the function this vector will be defined and I will be able to use it if using recursion is necessary. But that didn't work either.
The main problem you have is that your recursive case doesn't return anything -- it throws away the returned value from the recursive call, then falls off the end of the function (returning garbage -- undefined behvaior). You need to actually return the value returned by the recursive call:
return generateaRandomWord(currentVector);
Is it possible to define a VHDL function with no parameters?
I'm trying to compute the number of bits in a record type, but to do so it is necessary to create an instance of that type. Therefore, since I can't just define const BITS = t_rec.a'length + t_rec.b'length, I would like to define a function function BITS() return natural that instantiates a record rec : t_rec and returns rec.a'length + rec.b'length. However, the compiler fails with unexpected '(') at the function declaration, before it even reaches the definition.
I would just include an unused, dummy parameter, but I suspect that the lint tools would complain.
Defining subtypes for each record field in advance of the record would be too verbose.
Complete example:
package pack is function BITS() return natural; end package pack; package body pack is function BITS() return natural is begin return 0; end function; end package body pack;
Error message:
pack.vhd:1:30: empty interface list not allowed
You should leave out the parentheses when defining a function with no inputs, eg:
function BITS return natural is
variable rec : rec_t;
begin
return rec.a'length + rec.b'length;
end function;
You should not include the parentheses when you call the function, either. eg:
report integer'image( BITS );
not
report integer'image( BITS() );
https://www.edaplayground.com/x/5fMB
I've been learning lua and can't seem to make a simple implementation of this binary tree work...
function createTree(tree, max)
if max > 0 then
tree = {data = max, left = {}, right = {}}
createTree(tree.left, max - 1)
createTree(tree.right, max - 1)
end
end
function printTree(tree)
if tree then
print(tree.data)
printTree(tree.left)
printTree(tree.right)
end
end
tree = {}
createTree(tree, 3)
printTree(tree)
the program just returns nil after execution. I've searched around the web to understand how argument passing works in lua (if it is by reference or by value) and found out that some types are passed by reference (like tables and functions) while others by value. Still, I made the global variable "tree" a table before passing it to the "createTree" function, and I even initialized "left" and "right" to be empty tables inside of "createTree" for the same purpose. What am I doing wrong?
It is probably necessary to initialize not by a new table, but only to set its values.
function createTree(tree, max)
if max > 0 then
tree.data = max
tree.left = {}
tree.right = {}
createTree(tree.left, max - 1)
createTree(tree.right, max - 1)
end
end
in Lua, arguments are passed by value. Assigning to an argument does not change the original variable.
Try this:
function createTree(max)
if max == 0 then
return nil
else
return {data = max, left = createTree(max-1), right = createTree(max-1)}
end
end
It is safe to think that for the most of the cases lua passes arguments by value. But for any object other than a number (numbers aren't objects actually), the "value" is actually a pointer to the said object.
When you do something like a={1,2,3} or b="asda" the values on the right are allocated somewhere dynamically, and a and b only get addresses of those. Thus, when you pass a to the function fun(a), the pointer is copied to a new variable inside function, but the a itself is unaffected:
function fun(p)
--p stores address of the same object, but `p` is not `a`
p[1]=3--by using the address you can
p[4]=1--alter the contents of the object
p[2]=nil--this will be seen outside
q={}
p={}--here you assign address of another object to the pointer
p=q--(here too)
end
Functions are also represented by pointers to them, you can use debug library to tinker with function object (change upvalues for example), this may affect how function executes, but, once again, you can not change where external references are pointing.
Strings are immutable objects, you can pass them around, there is a library that does stuff to them, but all the functions in that library return new string. So once, again external variable b from b="asda" would not be affected if you tried to do something with "asda" string inside the function.
I'm trying to create a function with local functions within it. The main function would receive an output from an outside source, and the functions within it would be required to translate that input and return results for later use. My problem is that the way I am currently attempting this, when I try to put in my first local function inside the main function, I continue to get nil. Here is an example:
function stats(input)
height, weight, name, age, gender, relate = string.match(input, "(%d*)ft,(%d*)lbs,(%w*),(%d*),(%u*),(%u)")
if name then
function nameInit(relate)
relateTable = {["F"] = "Friend", ["R"] = "Relative"}
for k,v in pairs (relateTable) do
if relate == k then
relship = v
return relship
end
end
end
end
person = name.." is "..age.." years old, weighs "..weight.." and blah blah blah....
return person
end
print (stats("5.8ft, 160lbs, Mike Scott, 19, M, F"))
Obviously, this subject isn't practical but what I'm trying to do is along the same lines in terms of end response. I'm currently getting lua: filename: attempt to concatenate global 'relship' (a nil value)? I can get the response I want without the nested function. But when I try to elaborate more on the response I would like to receive, and place that function inside the global function, I begin to get these response(s). This seems to be my problem anytime I attempt to use functions within other functions. I can make two separate global functions and print results from either one. But the minute I try to use one within another, I screw myself up. Anyone who can take some time to help a beginner better understand what he is doing wrong would be great! Thanks all.
Based on your statement "the functions within it would be required to translate that input and return results for later use", I'm not sure that nested functions is what you want. You say that when you have two global functions your code works:
function func1(args)
...
end
function func2(args)
...
end
but when you nest (for example) func1 inside func2, it no longer works. Lua does allow you to define nested functions, but I can only think of two reasons to use them:
to return a function that encapsulates a task, usually with some of the wrapper function's args and/or locals as upvalues.
to encapsulate some logic in a function to be called from within the wrapper function, with no need for any other functions to call it.
For example of case 1:
function func2(a, b, c)
function func1()
do something with a, b, c eventhough they are not args of func1
return result
end
return func1
end
someFunc = func2(1,2,3)
....
result = someFunc() -- calls func1 created inside func2, using 1,2,3
For example of case 2:
function func2(a, b, c)
function func1()
do something with a, b, c eventhough they are not args of func1
return result
end
result = func1()
...
end
func2(1,2,3)
You could also add a nested function to a table object (class) passed as argument, but I see this as a variation on case 1.