Getting multiple values from a function without creating a variables in LUA

Question

Is there any way to get several values from a function without creating variables for it?

local major, minor, revision, codename = love.getVersion() -- Get c         


        

Answer 1

For the sake of example let's assume that love.getVersion() is defined as follows:

function love.getVersion ()
   return 1, 2, 3, "four"
end

Using select(index, ...):

If index is number then select returns all arguments after argument index of index. Consider:

print("A:", select(3, love.getVersion()))
local revision = select(3, love.getVersion())
print("B:", revision)

outputs:

A:  3   four
B:  3

In case of doubts - Reference Manual - select.

Using a table wrapper:

You have mentioned trying love.getVersion()[0]. That's almost it, but you first need to wrap the values returned into an actual table:

local all_of_them = {love.getVersion()}
print("C:", all_of_them[4])

outputs:

C:  four

In case you want to do it in one line (in the spirit of "without creating a variables") you need to wrap the table in parentheses, too:

print("D:", ({love.getVersion()})[1])

outputs:

D:  1

Using the _ variable:

Coming from the other languages you can just assign values you are not interested in with _ (nobody will notice we create a variable if it is a short flat line), as in:

local _, minor = love.getVersion()
print("E:", minor)

outputs:

E:  2

Please note that I skipped any following _ in the example (no need for local _, minor, _, _).