LuaHelpers - Runtime Docs

ClassLuaHelpersnew

Provides various helper and utility functions. It is accessible through the global object named helpers.

Members

table_to_json(data)	→ string	Convert a table to a JSON string
Convert a table to a JSON string
json_to_table(json)	→ AnyBasic?	Convert a JSON string to a table.
Convert a JSON string to a table.
write_file(filename, data, append?, for_player?)		Write a file to the `script-output` folder, located in the game's user data directory. [...]
Write a file to the `script-output` folder, located in the game's user data directory. [...]
remove_path(path)		Remove a file or directory in the `script-output` folder, located in the game's user data directory. [...]
Remove a file or directory in the `script-output` folder, located in the game's user data directory. [...]
direction_to_string(direction)	→ string	Converts the given direction into the string version of the direction.
Converts the given direction into the string version of the direction.
evaluate_expression(expression, variables?)	→ double	Evaluate an expression, substituting variables as provided.
Evaluate an expression, substituting variables as provided.
encode_string(string)	→ string?	Deflates and base64 encodes the given string.
Deflates and base64 encodes the given string.
decode_string(string)	→ string?	Base64 decodes and inflates the given string.
Base64 decodes and inflates the given string.
parse_map_exchange_string(map_exchange_string)	→ MapExchangeStringData	Convert a map exchange string to map gen settings and map settings.
Convert a map exchange string to map gen settings and map settings.
check_prototype_translations()		Goes over all items, entities, tiles, recipes, technologies among other things and logs if the locale is incorrect. [...]
Goes over all items, entities, tiles, recipes, technologies among other things and logs if the locale is incorrect. [...]
is_valid_sound_path(sound_path)	→ boolean	Checks if the given SoundPath is valid.
Checks if the given SoundPath is valid.
is_valid_sprite_path(sprite_path)	→ boolean	Checks if the given SpritePath is valid and contains a loaded sprite. [...]
Checks if the given SpritePath is valid and contains a loaded sprite. [...]
create_profiler(stopped?)	→ LuaProfiler	Creates a LuaProfiler, which is used for measuring script performance. [...]
Creates a LuaProfiler, which is used for measuring script performance. [...]
object_name	:: R string	The class name of this object. [...]
The class name of this object. [...]

Methods

table_to_json(data) → string

Convert a table to a JSON string

Parameters

data

:: table

json_to_table(json) → AnyBasic?

Convert a JSON string to a table.

Parameters

json	:: string	The string to convert.
The string to convert.

Return values

→ AnyBasic?

The returned object, or nil if the JSON string was invalid.

write_file(filename, data, append?, for_player?)

Write a file to the script-output folder, located in the game's user data directory. The name and file extension of the file can be specified via the filename parameter.

Parameters

filename	:: string	The name of the file. Providing a directory path (ex. `"save/here/example.txt"`) will create the necessary folder structure in `script-output`.
The name of the file. Providing a directory path (ex. `"save/here/example.txt"`) will create the necessary folder structure in `script-output`.
data	:: LocalisedString	The content to write to the file.
The content to write to the file.
append	:: boolean?	If `true`, `data` will be appended to the end of the file. Defaults to `false`, which will overwrite any pre-existing file with the new `data`.
If `true`, `data` will be appended to the end of the file. Defaults to `false`, which will overwrite any pre-existing file with the new `data`.
for_player	:: uint?	If given, the file will only be written for this `player_index`. Providing `0` will only write to the server's output if present.
If given, the file will only be written for this `player_index`. Providing `0` will only write to the server's output if present.

remove_path(path)

Remove a file or directory in the script-output folder, located in the game's user data directory. Can be used to remove files created by LuaHelpers::write_file.

Parameters

path	:: string	The path to the file or directory to remove, relative to `script-output`.
The path to the file or directory to remove, relative to `script-output`.

direction_to_string(direction) → string

Converts the given direction into the string version of the direction.

Parameters

direction

:: defines.direction

evaluate_expression(expression, variables?) → double

Evaluate an expression, substituting variables as provided.

Parameters

expression	:: MathExpression	The expression to evaluate.
The expression to evaluate.
variables	:: dictionary[string → double]?	Variables to be substituted.
Variables to be substituted.

Example

-- Calculate the number of research units required to unlock mining productivity level 10
local formula = game.forces["player"].technologies["mining-productivity-4"].research_unit_count_formula
local units = helpers.evaluate_expression(formula, { L = 10, l = 10 })

encode_string(string) → string?

Deflates and base64 encodes the given string.

Parameters

string	:: string	The string to encode.
The string to encode.

Return values

→ string?

The encoded string or nil if the encode failed.

decode_string(string) → string?

Base64 decodes and inflates the given string.

Parameters

string	:: string	The string to decode.
The string to decode.

Return values

→ string?

The decoded string or nil if the decode failed.

parse_map_exchange_string(map_exchange_string) → MapExchangeStringData

Convert a map exchange string to map gen settings and map settings.

Parameters

map_exchange_string

:: string

check_prototype_translations()

Goes over all items, entities, tiles, recipes, technologies among other things and logs if the locale is incorrect.

Also prints true/false if called from the console.

is_valid_sound_path(sound_path) → boolean

Checks if the given SoundPath is valid.

Parameters

sound_path	:: SoundPath	Path to the sound.
Path to the sound.

is_valid_sprite_path(sprite_path) → boolean

Checks if the given SpritePath is valid and contains a loaded sprite. The existence of the image is not checked for paths of type file.

Parameters

sprite_path	:: SpritePath	Path to the image.
Path to the image.

create_profiler(stopped?) → LuaProfiler

Creates a LuaProfiler, which is used for measuring script performance.

LuaProfiler cannot be serialized.

Parameters

stopped	:: boolean?	Create the timer stopped
Create the timer stopped

Attributes

object_name :: Read string

The class name of this object. Available even when valid is false. For LuaStruct objects it may also be suffixed with a dotted path to a member of the struct.

Factorio Runtime Docs Version 2.0.20

ClassLuaHelpersnew

Members

Methods

table_to_json(data) → string

Parameters

json_to_table(json) → AnyBasic?

Parameters

Return values

write_file(filename, data, append?, for_player?)

Parameters

remove_path(path)

Parameters

direction_to_string(direction) → string

Parameters

evaluate_expression(expression, variables?) → double

Parameters

Example

encode_string(string) → string?

Parameters

Return values

decode_string(string) → string?

Parameters

Return values

parse_map_exchange_string(map_exchange_string) → MapExchangeStringData

Parameters

check_prototype_translations()

is_valid_sound_path(sound_path) → boolean

Parameters

is_valid_sprite_path(sprite_path) → boolean

Parameters

create_profiler(stopped?) → LuaProfiler

Parameters

Attributes

object_name :: Read string

Classes

Concepts

Events

Defines

Factorio Runtime DocsVersion 2.0.20

ClassLuaHelpersnew

Members

Methods

table_to_json(data) → string

Parameters

json_to_table(json) → AnyBasic?

Parameters

Return values

write_file(filename, data, append?, for_player?)

Parameters

remove_path(path)

Parameters

direction_to_string(direction) → string

Parameters

evaluate_expression(expression, variables?) → double

Parameters

Example

encode_string(string) → string?

Parameters

Return values

decode_string(string) → string?

Parameters

Return values

parse_map_exchange_string(map_exchange_string) → MapExchangeStringData

Parameters

check_prototype_translations()

is_valid_sound_path(sound_path) → boolean

Parameters

is_valid_sprite_path(sprite_path) → boolean

Parameters

create_profiler(stopped?) → LuaProfiler

Parameters

Attributes

object_name :: Read string

Classes

Concepts

Events

Defines

Factorio Runtime Docs Version 2.0.20