types.Instance.tostring

Converts the instance to a string.

Return value

The result of the instance's class's _tostring metamethod, if it defines one. Otherwise the VM's generic default, "(instance : 0x" + address + ")".

Notes

Unlike a class, an instance does consult a metamethod here: this is the only built-in type-method where a class-level definition (_tostring) reaches the instance's own conversion, since instance indexing goes through the class's delegate chain while a class's own indexing does not. See types.Class.tostring for the class object's own, unconditional default.

Since the fallback address varies from run to run, examples on this site can only check a fixed prefix of the result, not the full string, unless the class defines _tostring.

Example

class Talkative {
  function _tostring() { return "I am talkative" }
}
println("Talkative().tostring() =", Talkative().tostring())

class Silent { x = 1 }
println("Silent().tostring().slice(0, 11) =", Silent().tostring().slice(0, 11))

Talkative().tostring() = I am talkative
Silent().tostring().slice(0, 11) = (instance :

See also