A lightweight Lua utility library providing essential functions for strings, files, tables, and classes, as a minimal alternative to Penlight.
Microlight is a lightweight Lua library that provides a curated collection of utility functions for common programming tasks. It addresses gaps in Lua's standard library by offering tools for string manipulation, file handling, table operations, and basic object-oriented programming, making development more efficient without adding unnecessary bulk.
Lua developers who need a minimal, well-documented set of utilities for everyday tasks, especially those who find larger libraries like Penlight too heavy or prefer a tailored selection of functions.
Developers choose Microlight for its simplicity, focus on essential utilities, and clean documentation, offering a 'light' alternative to Penlight with carefully chosen functions that avoid bloat while covering common needs.
A little library of useful Lua functions, intended as the 'light' version of Penlight
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Fills common Lua gaps with split for breaking strings and expand for interpolation, making string manipulation more intuitive without reinventing the wheel.
Provides exists and readfile that work consistently on Windows and Unix, simplifying file operations with careful error handling as shown in the examples.
Includes compose and bind functions for higher-order programming, along with string lambdas that reduce syntax overhead for simple expressions.
Offers a basic class mechanism for object-oriented programming, enabling inheritance and method sharing without the bloat of larger frameworks.
String lambdas cannot access local variables, restricting them to global context and pure functions, which limits flexibility in more complex code.
The class system supports single inheritance but lacks advanced features like interfaces or multiple inheritance, making it unsuitable for complex object hierarchies.
Functions like import modify the global table, which can lead to conflicts in larger projects or when integrating with other libraries, as noted in the README's warning about tostring.
Microlight is an open-source alternative to the following products: