README.adoc

= LuaZDF - Lua Zero Dependency Functions

LuaZDF is a collection of independet functions that have zero dependencies among themselves. A function in LuaZDF can be based on http://www.inf.puc-rio.br/~roberto/lpeg/lpeg.html[lpeg], http://keplerproject.github.io/luafilesystem/[LuaFileSystem] or other Lua modules but each function inside LuaZDF works on its own. That means you can copy the source code and run it in your project without the need to include LuaZDF for this functionality.

== Motivation

Lua itself has just a little standard library without many small utility functions that you know from other languages and envoirments. For example has Lua no trim function for strings, no trunc function for numbers and no slice function for tables in the https://www.lua.org/manual/5.3/manual.html#6[standard library]. This are not complicated functions that you are able to write yourself without much effort, find an implementation on the internet or you can include a utility library that has this functions, but each of the three possibilities has a drawback.

• Simple functions that you write yourself can have flavours that you miss and not test.
• A solution that you find in the internet can be outdated for the current version.
• Sometimes you don't want to add additional dependencies just to get one or two simple functions.

LuaZDF has the goal to collect and provide this kind of functions.

== Approach

The LuaZDF approach to solve this problem differs to existing solution like https://www.npmjs.com/[npm]. Instead of adding dependencies that need to be http://blog.npmjs.org/post/141577284765/kik-left-pad-and-npm[maintained] follows LuaZDF a paradigm that is like the Go Programming Language https://go-proverbs.github.io/[proverb]:

.... A little copying is better than a little dependency. ....

You still need to maintain your code, but not the dependencies. A small looking difference but hugh difference how your workflow will work.

== License

LuaZDF uses the BSD 0-Clause License (0BSD) from the http://www.landley.net/toybox/license.html[Toybox] project.

== More Stuff

You can explore and use existing functions as a consumer or you can add new functions as a creator.

You can explore all functions on the https://code.aiq.dk/luazdf/[website].

Check the information about https://luazdf.aiq.dk/contributing.html[contribution] if you want to add or modify a function.

For both use cases is it recommended to use to the command line tool https://github.com/aiq/lzt[lzt].