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Can anyone tell me what format this uh.. nested dictionary is? (lemmy.nz)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

22 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.nz/post/4294116

I have a file with content like this:
item({
     ["attr"] = {
        ["size"] = "62091";
        ["filename"] = "qBuUP9-OTfuzibt6PQX4-g.jpg";
        ["stamp"] = "2023-12-05T19:31:37Z";
        ["xmlns"] = "urn:xmpp:http:upload:0";
        ["content-type"] = "image/jpeg";
     };
     ["key"] = "Wa4AJWFldqRZjBozponbSLRZ";
     ["with"] = "email@address";
     ["when"] = 1701804697;
     ["name"] = "request";
});
I need to know what format this is, and if there exists a tool in linux already to parse this or if I need to write one myself?

Thanks!

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

It's not really a standalone file format, it's executable Lua code.

It returns a new item with the given table contents.

That syntax with the keys in square brackets is the "long-form" method of creating a new table, that's allows the use of spaces and dashes in the key name.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/34687498/what-is-the-function-of-square-brackets-around-table-keys-in-lua

Maybe this is the lua-equivelent of a python Pickle file?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Ohhhhh...

Ok so I just have to write a bit of Lua to utilise the file and give me the info I want.

Thanks!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

assuming you run it in the right lua environment. The item function must be defined, and we're only speculating about its return value without seeing proper docs, or the source

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Item is a function?

Well actually, yeah thats kinda obvious isn't it now I look at the whole thing.

Thats fine, I'll just use a bit of the old sed and json it.

Aha I have avoided learning Lua yet again!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

the code is constructing a table, and passing it to a function called item. But if all you need is the data, you can just remove the function call and assign the table to a variable like so: local myvar = {...}.

then you can just manipulate the table as usual.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Unfortunately, this sequence is repeated many many times, so I would need to do a for-each and construct a new table for each inner section..

There's gotta be a better way. Time to read the source code and hijack whatever item() is doing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

actually those semicolons indicate this isn't actually lua, they are invalid in table constructors afaik

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

~~This isn't Lua code, Lua requires commas as separators for table items.~~

EDIT: Retracted, it seems like Lua allows this madness

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Lua isn't that picky.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

Wow. Seems like I will never stop learning new things about Lua.