string.rep()

Part of the Fundamentals section of Coddy's Lua journey — lesson 47 of 90.

The string.rep() function allows you to repeat a string a specified number of times. This is particularly useful for creating visual elements like separator lines, borders, or patterns in your output.

Here's the basic syntax:

string.rep(your_string, number_of_repetitions)

The function takes two arguments: the string you want to repeat and the number of times to repeat it. Here's a simple example:

local separator = string.rep("-", 10)
print(separator)  -- outputs: ----------

In this example, the dash character is repeated 10 times to create a line. This technique is commonly used to create visual separators in console output, making your program's display more organized and readable.

Like other string functions, string.rep() returns a new string containing the repeated pattern - it doesn't modify the original string.

Challenge

Easy

Create a visual border generator for a game menu using the string.rep() function. Declare a variable called borderChar and assign it the value "*". Use string.rep() to repeat this character 15 times and store the result in a variable called menuBorder. Print the generated border.

Cheat sheet

The string.rep() function repeats a string a specified number of times:

string.rep(your_string, number_of_repetitions)

Example creating a separator line:

local separator = string.rep("-", 10)
print(separator)  -- outputs: ----------

The function returns a new string containing the repeated pattern without modifying the original string.

Try it yourself

-- Declare variables
local borderChar = -- TODO: Assign the border character
local menuBorder = -- TODO: Use string.rep() to repeat the character 15 times

-- TODO: Write your code here

-- Output the result
print(menuBorder)