OpenStandards

Standard OS APIs for interoperability

This document outlines APIs that OpenComputers operating systems should attempt to implement.

Operating systems should attempt to implement as much functionality from the Lua-standard io as possible (see the Lua manual entry for details).

OSes should implement at least the following subset of the package library:

package.path: string A string containing the path(s) that require will search for modules.
package.loaded: table A table of all currently loaded APIs.
package.searchpath(name: string, path: string[, sep: string[, rep: string]]): string or boolean, error Searches the provided path for name, replacing all instances of sep with rep. sep defaults to ., and rep to /.
optional: package.libdir: string The directory user-provided libraries should be placed into. Useful in the absence of /lib or /usr/lib.
require(modname: string): table Searches the package path for a module. Throws an error if the module is not found, or returns the API if it is.

An OS’ term API should provide at a minimum the following:

term.setCursor(x: number, y: number) Sets the term cursor position to (x, y). Returns nil and an error message on failure.
term.getCursor(): number, number Returns the current term cursor position.
term.setCursorBlink(blink: boolean) Controls whether the cursor should blink or, in some cases, whether it should be shown.
term.getCursorBlink(): boolean Returns whether the cursor is currently blinking or, in some cases, whether it is shown.
term.write(text: string[, wrapMode: string]): number Writes text to the screen. wrapMode can be "precise" or "word", and specifies how words should be wrapped.
term.read([history: table[, replace: string[, default: string]]]) Reads text input from the user.

OSes must provide an interface to components. At least the following must be implemented:

component.list([type: string[, exact: boolean]]): iterator Returns an iterator over all installed components in the computer. type and exact do what they say on the tin.
component.isAvailable(type: string): boolean Queries if the selected component, or optionally an interface to it, is available.
component.[component_name] Is a proxy to the specified component, if it is available.
component.get(address: string): string or nil Attempts to resolve the provided address to a full component address.

The component API may (as in the case of Photon, or possibly Fuchas) be a wrapper over drivers.