How to save global variables using the lua C API

Image via Wikipedia

This function will save all the global variables in a lua state. Only string, number and boolean variables are supported, but this code can be easily extended to support tables as well.

Enjoy

void LuaState::DumpGlobals()
{
	// push the first key (nil = beginning of table)
	lua_pushnil(L);

	// lua_next will:
	// 1 - pop the key
	// 2 - push the next key
	// 3 - push the value at that key
	// ... so the key will be at index -2 and the value at index -1
	while (lua_next(L, LUA_GLOBALSINDEX) != 0) {
		// get type of key and value
		int key_type = lua_type(L, -2);
		int value_type = lua_type(L, -1);

		// support only string keys
		// globals aren't likely to have a non-string key, but just to be certain ...
		if (key_type != LUA_TSTRING) {
			lua_pop(L, 1); // pop the value so that the top contains the key for the next iteration
			continue;
		}

		// support only number, boolean and string values
		if (value_type != LUA_TNUMBER &&
			value_type != LUA_TBOOLEAN &&
			value_type != LUA_TSTRING) {
			lua_pop(L, 1); // again, pop the value before going to the next loop iteration
			continue;
		}

		// get the key as a string
		string key_string = lua_tostring(L, -2); // no copy required - we already know this is a string

		// do not support variables that start with '_'
		// lua has some predefined values like _VERSION. They all start with underscore

		if (!key_string.size()) { // this again is highly unlikely, but still ...
			lua_pop(L, 1);
			continue;
		}
		if (key_string[0] == '_') {
			lua_pop(L, 1);
			continue;
		}

		string value_string;

		// convert the value to a string. This depends on its type
		switch (value_type) {
		case LUA_TSTRING:
		case LUA_TNUMBER:
			// numbers can be converted to strings

			// get the value as a string (this requires a copy because traversing tables
			// uses the top of the stack as an index. If conversion from a number to string
			// happens, the top of the stack will be altered and the table index will become invalid)
			lua_pushvalue(L, -1);
			value_string = lua_tostring(L, -1);
			lua_pop(L, 1);
			break;
		case LUA_TBOOLEAN:
			value_string = lua_toboolean(L, -1) == 0 ? "false" : "true";
			break;
		}

		// enclose the value in "" if it is a string
		if (value_type == LUA_TSTRING) {
			value_string = "\"" + value_string + "\"";
		}

		// resulting line. Somehow save this and when you need to restore it, just
		// call luaL_dostring with that line.
		SaveLine(key_string + " = " + value_string);		// Pop the value so the index remains on top of the stack for the next iteration
		lua_pop(L, 1);
	}
}