Editing Module:Buffer/doc (section)

===require'Module:Buffer'===
 {{luaself|Buffer|\|require'Module:***'|subpage= |args=...|args2=_G, name, ...}}

Creates a new Module:Buffer object when the module returned by {{luaref|require||y}} is called as a function{{--}}i.e., there is no 'main'.

Because <span title='i.e. never accept arguments'>{{luaref|mw.html:done|public methods with useless parenthesis|y}}</span> are a [[pet peeve]] of this developer, this forwards arguments to {{luaself|:_}}; if that op is not desired, you may chain a Buffer object function directly to the module and the self-action will be redirected to a new Buffer object{{--}}i.e [[#Buffer:_inHTML|{{code|lang=lua|require'Module:Buffer':_inHTML'table'}}]] is equivalent to {{code|lang=lua|require'Module:Buffer'():_inHTML'table'}}.<ref group="note">For your convenience, the self operator {{code|:}} and {{code|.}} are interchangeable when used on the Module directly, though the self-op is required for nearly all other interactions with objects created by the Module.</ref>

The global variable {{luaref|_G}} is "magic" when passed as the first arg. Such enables the [[#Global functions|global functions]] and, if followed by a <code>name</code> string, will declare the new Buffer with that name in the global scope. If the argument following ''name'' is a table with no metatable, it and any other {{luaref|varargs||y}} are forwarded to {{luaself|:_all}}; otherwise, as long as the first vararg is not nil or false, this passes them to {{luaself|:_}}.<ref group="note">Passing arguments after ''name'' is primary used when {{luaself|:_in}} is indirectly called by {{luaself|:_all}} or {{luaself|pre=Element-|:_add}}. For example:<br />
{{code|1=require'Module:Buffer'(_G,'arg'):_all({'arg',arg and {' was saved:' ,_in={_G, 't', ' awesome'}{{))}}, true):_(t and {t(), t..'r', t..'st'})|lang=lua}}<br />
produces: {{code|arg was saved: awesome awesomer awesomest|lang=lua}}</ref> The _G passed may also gain a __call {{luaref|Metatables|metamethod|y}} (details at [[#G object|_G object]]).

{{anchor|recycling}}
As a final note, if you {{luaref|require|plain=y}} text from a module which returns a Buffer object, it may be more efficient to create a new Buffer via chaining {{luaself|Buffer|:_in|:_in|args=()}} after a require statement for the other module and use {{luaself|:_parent|args=()}} at the point where you would append the required text. (Best add {{code|lang=lua|1=--:_in == indirect require Module:Buffer}} so future editors won't hunt for {{code|lang=lua|function ...:_in}} at the other module)