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For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
Lazy operators in Lua - what they mean, and examples

If you use the word or in an expression in Lua, the expression to the right of the word will only be evaluated and returned of the value to the left is nil. So a very common idiom is:
  stuff = stuff or {}
which means "if stuff already has a value, leave it alone - otherwise make it an empty table"

If you use the word and on the other hand, the expression to the right of the word will only be evaluated nd returned if the value to the left is not nil. This is a much less common requirement:
  stuff = stuff and {}
which means "if stuff has a value, replace it with an empty table. But if it's nil, leave it like that"

Example from the Lua course completed at the end of last week - [here] and another example from earlier on [here].

(written 2014-05-05, updated 2014-05-06)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
U103 - Lua - Conditionals and loops
  [1685] Short circuit evaluation (lazy operator) in Lua - (2008-06-22)
  [1696] Saying NOT in Perl, PHP, Python, Lua ... - (2008-07-04)
  [1738] Clean code, jump free (Example in Lua) - (2008-08-06)
  [2351] Ternary operators alternatives - Perl and Lua lazy operators - (2009-08-12)
  [2454] For loops in Lua - (2009-10-14)
  [2455] Lua examples - coroutines, error handling, objects, etc - (2009-10-15)
  [3397] Does a for loop evaluate its end condition once, or on every iteration? - (2011-08-18)
  [3558] Python or Lua - which should I use / learn? - (2011-12-21)
  [3686] The goto statement in Lua - (2012-04-06)
  [4322] Learning to Program - the conditional statement (if) - (2014-11-21)
  [4323] Learning to program - Loop statements such as while - (2014-11-22)
  [4574] repeat until in Lua - a one or more rather than a zero or more loop - (2015-11-05)


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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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