Sending nested tables over channels

[Dantevg]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but why aren't we able to send nested tables over channels? Is it impossible or very hard to make?
Is there a solution to send nested tables over channels? Serializing? Repeated channel sends?

EDIT: I want to send something like this:

Code: Select all

local t = {
  { type = "foo", "data", "more data", "and more", ... },
  { type = "bar", "data", "data 2", "data 3", ... },
  ...
}

[Nixola]

Either repeated channel sends or serializing; I personally chose the former. I basically send a number (the number of tables the table contains) followed by each table sent separately.

[bartbes]

It's a trade-off. Full duplication is error-prone, more expensive, and often overkill. If you do want to send nested tables, you can use any kind of serialization that suits your situation. Serialization code that only supports tables without cyclic references can be much simpler and faster than code that does have to support those, for instance.

[Dantevg]

Serialization code that only supports tables without cyclic references can be much simpler and faster than code that does have to support those, for instance.

What are cyclic references? A table referencing itself? Is that even possible in lua?

[raidho36]

Is that even possible in lua?

Why wouldn't it be?

Code: Select all

local a = { }
local b = { }
a.b = b
b.a = a

[Dantevg]

Why wouldn't it be?

Code: Select all

local a = { }
local b = { }
a.b = b
b.a = a

Okay, that's simple indeed, now I get it.

[Robin]

If I may do some shameless self-promotion, you can use bitser to send data over channels. Bitser is both flexible and really fast.

[Dantevg]

Something related: Why do all the channel functions accept flat tables, but the channel.peek() function doesn't?

EDIT: Bitser may be really helpful if I get stuck on this problem

[zorg]

Something related: Why do all the channel functions accept flat tables, but the channel.peek() function doesn't?

Even if the wiki page states this, did you try it yourself? I mean, logically, it should also support them. And if it does, then the article needs to be fixed, it's that simple.

[bartbes]

Something related: Why do all the channel functions accept flat tables, but the channel.peek() function doesn't?

Because peek doesn't send stuff?