How to spread namespace onto _G?

[akd-io]

TLDR: How do I use annotations to put class members into the global scope?

I'm writing a React library in lua for the Picotron fantasy console.

In Picotron we use include() instead of require().

I want to be able to support users using my react library's functions under a React namespace, or in the global namespace.

That is, my lib code writes:

---@class React
---@member useState function
---@member useMemo function
---etc...

I want clients who like it namespaced to be able to do

---@type React
local React = include("react.lua")
React.useState() -- ✅ Types are correct

And that works great!

But I also want users to be able to do:

local React = include("react.lua")
React() -- Calling the React table copies all members onto `_G`
useState() -- ❌ Types are missing

But I don't know how to use annotations to tell the language server that all the members are now in the global scope?

Or is there another solution that lets users easily choose between a global or namespaced approach, and is typed correctly?

[tomlau10]

AFAIK, you cannot use annotation to dynamically add things to global.
You can only use annotation to define them statically.
By statically I mean:

---@meta mylib

if false then
    this_global_is_still_set = true
    -- you will still see this suggestions in the global scope
end

=> even if that code block is wrapped with if false, LuaLS will still analyze it and treat it as global

---

how to use annotations to tell the language server that all the members are now in the global scope?

The closest that I can think of is to export them manually 🤔
But as stated above, they will be in the global even if you don't call React() beforehand ☹️

---@meta react.lua

---@class React
local React = {}

function React.useState() end

-- export to global
useState = React.useState()

return React

[akd-io]

Hey Tom,

Thank you so much for taking the time. Having someone experienced take a look is a privilege.

After I posted this, I thought about it some more. And I think it's the fact that Lua doesn't have destructuring that trips me up.

I tried implementing the solution I was dreaming of here in TypeScript, which I normally use, and couldn't get it working there either. Might be a skill issue, though, I'm unsure.

I realised I never really think about the import syntax in TypeScript, because my editor updates the import code automatically, seamlessly.

In Lua, I write it myself, and the lack of nice import syntax and/or destructuring, makes it look like:

local component, renderRoot, useState, useMemo, use, createContext, Fragment, deps, keyed = React.component, React.renderRoot, React.useState, React.useMemo, React.use, React.createContext, React.Fragment, React.deps, React.keyed

I think I just gotta bite the bullet and get on with my life.

Thanks again, and have a great day!