<function name="getmetatable" parent="Global" type="libraryfunc"> <description> Returns the metatable of an object. This function obeys the metatable's __metatable field, and will return that field if the metatable has it set. Use <page>debug.getmetatable</page> if you want the true metatable of the object. </description> <realm>Shared and Menu</realm> <args> <arg name="object" type="any">The value to return the metatable of.</arg> </args> <rets> <ret name="" type="any">The metatable of the value. This is not always a table.</ret> </rets> </function> <example> <description>Use a table's metatable and alter it.</description> <code> print(getmetatable(Pupil).__index.GetName(Pupil)) -- getmetatable(Pupil) will return Pupil_meta. -- Same as print(Pupil:GetName()) -- This is what the Lua interpreter basically does. (When __index is a table.) getmetatable(Pupil).SetName = function(self, newName) self.name = newName end -- We're adding a new method to Pupil's metatable print(getmetatable(Pupil).GetName(Pupil)) -- Still the same, because Pupil_meta.__index is Pupil_meta. </code> <output>"John Doe"</output> </example> <example> <description>Using a Metatable to make functions easier</description> <code> ⤶ ⤶ ⤶ ⤶ local ply = getmetatable("player") ⤶ ⤶ function ply:PrintData() local tbl = {⤶ self:Nick(),⤶ self:SteamID()⤶ -- Using self is the same as having an argument in the function⤶ -- but instead self is referring to the player the functions being ran on⤶ ⤶ function ply:PrintData()⤶ local tbl = { self:Nick(), -- Using self is the same as having an argument in the function⤶ self:SteamID() -- but instead self is referring to the player the functions being ran on⤶ } return tbl end⤶ ⤶ return tbl end ⤶ </code> </example>