User:Ganaram inukshuk/Provisional style guide for Lua: Difference between revisions

@@ Line 203: / Line 203: @@
 | ee
 | ff
-|}</syntaxhighlight>'''Avoid'''<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">
+|}</syntaxhighlight>
-{| class="wikitable"
+'''Avoid'''
+<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">{| class="wikitable"
 |+ Caption text
 |-
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 | dd || ee || ff
 |}
+</syntaxhighlight>
+=== <code>ipairs</code> versus <code>pairs</code> versus <code>for</code> loop ===
+<syntaxhighlight lang="lua">
+local sometable = { "egg", "bread", "banana", nil, "milk" }
+-- As a for loop
+-- Order is guaranteed, but where to stop and start is needed
+-- Iterates through all numeric indices, even if values are nil
+for i = 1, #sometable do
+    -- Code goes here
+end
+-- As a for loop using ipairs
+-- Order is guaranteed, in ascending order
+-- Iterates through numeric keys/indices, but stops at the first value of nil encountered
+-- Obviates using sometable[i], as value has the same... value
+for index, value in ipairs(sometable) do
+    -- Code goes here
+end
+-- As a for loop using pairs
+-- Order is not guaranteed
+-- Iterates through numeric and non-numeric keys
+for key, value in pairs(sometable) do
+    -- Code goes here
+end
 </syntaxhighlight>
 == Templates and modules ==