stringDatatype:method(...) vs string.method(stringDatatype, ...)

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Felt this fit more in #help-and-feedback:code-review rather than #help-and-feedback:scripting-support but if anyone do inform me if I am incorrect. EDIT: Moved to #help-and-feedback:scripting-support

Could not find a post on this topic subject so I have decided to make a thread! If you do find a relevant thread though please reply with it below and I will look at it! (tried searching for “string.method vs string:method” etc.)

Should I use string.method(stringDatatype, ...) or stringDatatype:method(...) where stringDatatype is a variable with the type "string" and string is reference to the string library? I am well aware they do the exact thing in the end, but there feels to be a conflict in consistency when using stringDatatype:method(...)

I am not looking for a “which is more efficient” type answer but rather a “coding style” type answer, specifically one following a pattern that agrees with the Lua 5.1 libraries.

It just feels like stringDatatype:method(...) doesn’t fit with the architecture that other type libraries use; type.method(typeDatatype, ...)

For instance, table. There is no tableDatatype:insert(...) (for obvious reasons probably; conflicts in dictionaries could occur quickly) Another example would be the math library. There is no numberDatatype:sqrt() and so on.

TL;DR: Should I access string library for string functions or access them via the __index metamethod set to the string metatable.

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To me, the explicit call with string.method(stringDatatype, ...) makes the code more readable and comprehendible–especially if you are doing something rather complex in the adjacent code segments. However, it is a matter of preference. I did search the Lua reference manual, but they really only talk about variable naming conventions and Hungarian notations. I think that since Lua inherently supports parametric / subtype polymorphisms, you should use the string.method call as a matter of type readability and also consistency like you said.

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