local gsub = string.gsub local chars local function get_chars() chars, get_chars = { ["\000"] = "%z", ["$"] = "%$", ["%"] = "%%", ["("] = "%(", [")"] = "%)", ["*"] = "%*", ["+"] = "%+", ["-"] = "%-", ["."] = "%.", ["?"] = "%?", ["["] = "%[", ["]"] = "%]", ["^"] = "%^", }, nil return chars end --[==[Escapes the magic characters used in a pattern: {$%()*+-.?[]^}, and converts the null character to {%z}. For example, {"^$()%.[]*+-?\0"} becomes {"%^%$%(%)%%%.%[%]%*%+%-%?%z"}. This is necessary when constructing a pattern involving arbitrary text (e.g. from user input).]==] return function(str) return (gsub(str, "[%z$%%()*+%-.?[%]^]", chars or get_chars())) end 
