``sol::table`` is an extremely efficient manipulator of state that brings most of the magic of the Sol abstraction. Capable of doing multiple sets at once, multiple gets into a ``std::tuple``, being indexed into using ``[key]`` syntax and setting keys with a similar syntax (see: :doc:`here<proxy>`), ``sol::table`` is the corner of the interaction between Lua and C++.
There are two kinds of tables: the global table and non-global tables: however, both have the exact same interface and all ``sol::global_table`` s are convertible to regular ``sol::table`` s.
Tables are the core of Lua, and they are very much the core of Sol.
These functions retrieve items from the table. The first one (``get``) can pull out *multiple* values, 1 for each key value passed into the function. In the case of multiple return values, it is returned in a ``std::tuple<Args...>``. It is similar to doing ``return table["a"], table["b"], table["c"]``. Because it returns a ``std::tuple``, you can use ``std::tie`` on a multi-get to retrieve all of the necessary variables. The second one (``traverse_get``) pulls out a *single* value, using each successive key provided to do another lookup into the last. It is similar to doing ``x = table["a"]["b"]["c"][...]``.
..code-block:: cpp
:caption: function: set / traversing set
template<typename... Args>
table& set(Args&&... args);
template<typename... Args>
table& traverse_set(Args&&... args);
These functions set items into the table. The first one (``set``) can set *multiple* values, in the form ``Key, Value, Key, Value, ...``. It is similar to ``table["a"] = 1; table["b"] = 2, ...``. The second one (``traverse_set``) sets a *single* value, using all but the last argument as keys to do another lookup into the value retrieved prior to it. It is equivalent to ``table["a"]["b"][...] = final_value;``.
This class of functions creates a new :doc:`usertype<usertype>` with the specified arguments, providing a few extra details for constructors. After creating a usertype with the specified argument, it passes it to :ref:`set_usertype<set_usertype>`.
.._set_usertype:
..code-block:: cpp
:caption: function: setting a pre-created usertype
Sets a previously created usertype with the specified ``key`` into the table. Note that if you do not specify a key, the implementation falls back to setting the usertype with a ``key`` of ``usertype_traits<T>::name``, which is an implementation-defined name that tends to be of the form ``{namespace_name 1}_[{namespace_name 2 ...}_{class name}``.
A functional ``for_each`` loop that calls the desired function. The passed in function must take either ``sol::object key, sol::object value`` or take a ``std::pair<sol::object, sol::object> key_value_pair``. This version can be a bit safer as allows the implementation to definitively pop the key/value off the Lua stack after each call of the function.
..code-block:: cpp
:caption: function: operator[] access
template<typename T>
proxy<table&, T> operator[](T&& key);
template<typename T>
proxy<const table&, T> operator[](T&& key) const;
Generates a :doc:`proxy<proxy>` that is templated on the table type and the key type. Enables lookup of items and their implicit conversion to a desired type.
..code-block:: cpp
:caption: function: set a function with the specified key into lua
Sets the desired function to the specified key value. Note that it also allows for passing a member function plus a member object or just a single member function: however, using a lambda is almost always better when you want to bind a member function + class instance to a single function call in Lua.
static table create(lua_State* L, int narr, int nrec, Key&& key, Value&& value, Args&&... args);
Creates a table, optionally with the specified values pre-set into the table. If ``narr`` or ``nrec`` are 0, then compile-time shenanigans are used to guess the amount of array entries (e.g., integer keys) and the amount of hashable entries (e.g., all other entries).
Creates a table, optionally with the specified values pre-set into the table. It checks every 2nd argument (the keys) and generates hints for how many array or map-style entries will be placed into the table.
