LuaLS / LuaLS/lua-language-server
Feature Request: Capture table keys similar to capturing generic types
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Description
I like [TypeScript's `keyof` operator](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/2/keyof-types.html) that basically suggests that the value of a given string must match one of the properties/keys of a specified object.
In Lua, a type declared as `@type keyof queries` would mean it is a string whose value is a key found in the `queries` table.
This is useful because I can change just the value types if the keys of a table parameter were to be captured and specified as the target for a returned table type.
Here's an example of what I currently have to show the problem:
```lua
---@param queries table
---@return table
local function QueryMany(queries)
local results = {}
for key, query in pairs(queries) do
results[key] = Query(query) -- this function returns `QueryResult?`
end
return results
end
```
So, you can see that the `queries` argument is a table, and the keys should be exactly the same in the returned table, but only the values change.
Therefore, when I hover over the returned table in VS Code it doesn't know the keys in the table and only shows the key as being a string.
In the example above, the new annotation would look like this:
```lua
---@param queries table
---@return table
```
Currently, I need to create custom aliases or cast the returned tables manually when using the `QueryMany` example function to add the desired intelli-sense in VS Code. This is a problem because the function is designed to be dynamically reusable with arbitrary table arguments.
For context, this is how I would use the above function:
```lua
local results = QueryMany({
xSpacing = "frame.dimensions.xSpacing",
ySpacing = "frame.dimensions.ySpacing",
vDirection = "frame.behavior.vDirection",
hDirection = "frame.behavior.hDirection",
})
```
(**in summary:** _the table is transformed from a key-value pair of `string`/`string` to `string`/`QueryResult?` and there is no way of telling LuaLS this without losing the field/key names_)
You could also support `keyof` for standard aliases and types:
```lua
---@type keyof queries
local queryName = "" -- the value of queryName must match a field key found in the queries table
-- or as an alias:
---@alias QueryName keyof queries
```
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
No repository files, tests, or entry points are named in the issue. Start by locating the existing generic-type capture and annotation handling, then trace how table keys and aliases are represented. Done means `keyof queries` preserves the input table's keys for returned tables and validates standalone values or aliases against those keys.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- lua
- Domain
- devtools
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100