Editing Module:Buffer/doc (section)

====Buffer:_all====
{{luaself|:_all|args={ value, ... }|args2={ ..., value = pos, functionName = args, ... }, nanKeys}}

Takes a table {{code|value}}, iterates through all number keys {{luaref|table.sort|in order|plain=yes}}, appending each [[#valid|valid]] value to the end of the Buffer. In contrast to {{luaref|ipairs}}, this starts at the most negative key (down to {{luaref|math.huge|-inf|y}}) and ends at the most positive index, continuing through any nil keys and includes [[Double-precision floating-point format|non-integer number keys]].

A table ''value'' that has no metatable will have its contents iterated by this function before moving on to the next value. All other data types are processed by {{luaself|:_}}.
{{anchor|nanKeys}}

By default, this ignores non-number keys unless {{code|nanKeys}} evaluates true. If so, non-number keys are processed after number keys. Keep in mind such keys are iterated in {{luaref|next|no particular|y}} order, though an order may be imposed by wrapping each pair in a table indexed at a number key.

If given a <code>''value'' = ''pos''</code> pair, defined as a number or number string indexed at a non-number key, then they will be passed as the {{code|value}} and {{code|pos}} arguments for {{luaself|:_|plain=y}}. Thus,
:{{luaself|:_all|args=({1,2,3,'... done',[3.5]=variable and 4 or {four='1',zero=1{{))}},true)}}

produces the same result as:
:{|
|{{#tag:syntaxhighlight|Buffer:_(1):_(2):_(3)
if variable then
	Buffer:_(4)
else
	Buffer:_'four':_('zero',1)--vs :_all{four='1',zero=1}; less redundant would be
end                           --   :_all{'four',zero=1}, but that doesn't demo string numbers
Buffer:_'... done'
--returns "1234... done" if variable evaluates true or "zero123four... done" if false|lang=lua}}
|}

If a non-number key points to a value that cannot be coerced into a {{luaref|tonumber|coerced into a number|y}} then the pair may be treated as <code>''functionName'' = ''args''</code>, when ''functionName'' matches a Buffer object function and ''args'' is not boolean. If ''args'' is such that {{code|value[1]|lang=lua}} evaluates true, then this will pass the return of {{luaref|unpack|args=value, 1, table.maxn(value)}} to the named function; otherwise, the value is passed as is.<ref group="note">In other words, if ''args'' is a string or a table without [1] set, it will be passed as the only argument. Further note it is not possible to pass a <code>''functionName'' = ''args''</code> pair where ''args'' is numerical since such would be read as <code>''value'' = ''pos''</code>. Finally, passing a function type as ''args'' will throw an error message.</ref>