lua gsub

The Lua function gsub is used for pattern matching and substitution in strings. It allows you to search for a specific pattern within a string and replace it with another value. Here is a step-by-step explanation of how gsub works:

First, you specify the string you want to search and modify. This is the first argument of the gsub function.
Next, you provide the pattern you want to search for. The pattern can be a plain string or a Lua pattern. Lua patterns provide a more flexible and powerful way to match patterns in strings. They can include special characters and metacharacters to define the pattern you want to match.
After the pattern, you specify the replacement value. This is the value that will be used to replace the matched pattern in the original string.
Optionally, you can provide a fourth argument to limit the number of replacements that gsub should perform. If this argument is not provided, gsub will replace all occurrences of the pattern in the string.
Finally, gsub returns two values: the modified string with the replacements, and the number of substitutions that were performed.

Overall, the gsub function in Lua provides a powerful and flexible way to search for patterns in strings and replace them with specified values. It is commonly used for text manipulation and string formatting tasks.