Using Libs (Libraries)
What Are Libs (Libraries)?
Libs (or Libarries) are scripts (or C DLLs) that contain helpful functions and definitions that all addons can make use of. These generally come prepackaged with Ashita and can be found within the /addons/libs/ folder.
Addon developers can make their own libraries and have you place them within the libs folder as well. Anyone is free to create libraries for Ashita. If you have a library you feel is useful to others and wish to have it added to the Ashita package, feel free to contact atom0s on Discord.
Libraries can be used by addons easily. Just simply ‘require’ them into your code. For example, most addons will make use of the ‘common’ library. This lib brings a collection of other libraries into your code automatically reducing the number of requires you may use for other commonly used libraries. This can be used like this:
require 'common';
You can also include libraries that are within sub-folders inside of the libs folder. Lua treats folder separators as . instead of slashes when using the require keyword. For example, you can include the recast library found within /libs/ffxi/recast.lua via:
require 'ffxi.recast';
Remember, when including a library, you do not use the file extension in the name! Just the name of the file and any sub-folder names needed to get to the library!
Compiled Libraries (CLibs)
Compiled libraries, or CLibs, are DLLs that expose more functionality to the Lua state through a compiled C/C++ DLL file. Lua has a special setup for these kinds of libraries that in order to be loaded, must follow certain guidelines.
A compiled library must export a luaopen_ function that contains the name of the file as the require name that will be used. For example, if I have a clib named xie.dll and wish to require it such as:
require 'xie';
The xie.dll MUST export a function named luaopen_xie.
Your clib can also export multiple luaopen_ functions that are used for specific namespace tables of functions. For example you could export things such as:
luaopen_xie_rendering
luaopen_xie_packets
Then require them specifically like:
require 'xie.rendering';
require 'xie.packets';
CLibs should be placed in the root /addons/libs/ folder!
Note: CLibs must be compiled with the same Lua libraries as Ashita’s addon library is compiled against in order to properly work 100%!
Available Libraries
Here is a list of the available libraries included with Ashita and a brief description of what they are for. You can open these libraries within a text editor to find more information and functionality of them.
| Library File Name | Usage | Description |
|---|---|---|
| common.lua | require 'common' |
Includes the various common libraries that are most frequently used. |
| d3d8.lua | require 'd3d8' |
Contains definitions and helper functions for use with the Direct3D exposed API. |
| imguidef.lua | require 'imguidef' |
Contains definitions and helper functions for use with the Ashita UI system. (ImGui) |
| logging.lua | require 'logging' |
Contains helper functions for writing to Ashita’s log files. |
| ltn12.lua | require 'ltn12' |
LuaSocket helper file that implements filters, sources, and sinks. |
| mathex.lua | require 'mathex' |
Contains additional functions to extend the Lua math namespace. |
| mime.lua | require 'mime' |
LuaSocket helper file that implements file mime types. |
| settings.lua | require 'settings' |
Contains definitions and helper functions for managing addon settings files via json. |
| socket.lua | require 'socket' |
LuaSocket main library file to make use of web sockets within Lua. |
| stringex.lua | require 'stringex' |
Contains additional functions to extend the Lua string namespace. |
| tableex.lua | require 'tableex' |
Contains additional functions to extend the Lua table namespace. |
| timer.lua | require 'timer' |
Contains helper functions for creating timers within an addon. |
| ffxi/enums.lua | require 'ffxi.enums' |
Contains FFXI related enumerations and constants. |
| ffxi/recast.lua | require 'ffxi.recast' |
Contains helper functions for reading the players recast timers. |
| ffxi/targets.lua | require 'ffxi.targets' |
Contains helper functions for obtaining various targeting information. |
| ffxi/vanatime.lua | require 'ffxi.vanatime' |
Contains helper functions for reading the current Vana’diel time. |
| ffxi/weather.lua | require 'ffxi.weather' |
Contains helper functions for reading the current zone weather. |
| json/json.lua | require 'json.json' |
Contains definitions and functions for interacting with JSON files within Lua. (Used for settings.lua) |
| socket/ftp.lua | require 'socket.ftp' |
Contains definitions and functions for interacting with FTP servers. |
| socket/headers.lua | require 'socket.headers' |
Contains definitions and functions for interacting with HTTP headers. |
| socket/http.lua | require 'socket.http' |
Contains definitions and functions for interacting with HTTP requests. |
| socket/smtp.lua | require 'socket.smtp' |
Contains definitions and functions for interacting with SMTP servers. |
| socket/tp.lua | require 'socket.tp' |
Contains definitions and functions for interacting with SMTP/FTP servers. (Shared library.) |
| socket/url.lua | require 'socket.url' |
Contains definitions and functions for interacting with urls. |