Improved sorting.

README.md

@@ -89,7 +89,9 @@ I'm looking into implementing following features:
 	non-breaking strings. Attempt to break near whitespace.
 -	Attempt to fit output within a predefined width limit. Default to 80.
 -	Find a better name than `pretty`.
--	Add options for colored output, and allow custom formatting.
+-	Add option for colored output. Primarily syntax highlighting, but also
+	[BlueJ-style](www.bluej.org/about.html) scope highlighting, with some faint
+	background colors.
 -	Look more into `string.dump` in the core library.
 -	Better support upvalues for in functions. Complete support is impossible
 	without traversing the original code or inspecting the intermediate
@@ -98,11 +100,12 @@ I'm looking into implementing following features:
 
 ## Other pretty printers
 
-`pretty` is a large and slow library, and is not designed for serialization
+`pretty` is large, slow, and requires the debug library to work. It's not
-purposes, nor is `pretty` concerned with offering the same level of
+designed for serialization purposes, nor is it concerned with offering the same
-customization as other libraries do.
+level of customization as other libraries do.
 
-Luckily Lua has a large library of pretty printers and serialization libraries:
+If you want a sleek, fast, customizable or embeddable library, there are other
+options. Lua has a large library of pretty printers and serialization libraries:
 
 -	[inspect.lua](github.com/kikito/inspect.lua): One of the classic debugging
 	pretty printers.
@@ -114,4 +117,4 @@ Luckily Lua has a large library of pretty printers and serialization libraries:
 -	[binser](github.com/bakpakin/binser): Library for special purpose
 	serialization.
 
-Others can be found at [the lua-users wiki](lua-users.org/wiki/TableSerialization).
+Find others at [the lua-users wiki](lua-users.org/wiki/TableSerialization).

pretty.lua

@@ -82,8 +82,11 @@ local function padnum(d)
 end
 
 local function alphanum_compare_strings (a, b)
-    return tostring(a):gsub("%.?%d+", padnum)..("%3d"):format(#b)
+    local a_padded  =  tostring(a):gsub("%.?%d+", padnum)..("\0%3d"):format(#b)
-         < tostring(b):gsub("%.?%d+", padnum)..("%3d"):format(#a)
+    local b_padded  =  tostring(b):gsub("%.?%d+", padnum)..("\0%3d"):format(#a)
+    local A_padded, B_padded  =  a_padded:upper(), b_padded:upper()
+    if A_padded == B_padded then  return  a_padded < b_padded  end
+    return A_padded < B_padded
 end
 
 local function compare_key_value_pairs (a, b)

test/test_pretty.lua

@@ -224,13 +224,11 @@ format_test {
     expect = '{ a = { 1, 2, 3 }, b = { 4, 5, 6 } }',
 }
 
-if HAS_UNICODE_IDEN then
+format_test {
-    format_test {
     name = 'Unicode characters can be used as string keys in tables',
-        input  = loadstring 'return { a = 1, ψ = 2 }' (),
+    input  = { ['a'] = 1, ['ψ'] = 2 },
     expect = '{ a = 1, ψ = 2 }',
-    }
+}
-end
 
 format_test {
     input  = { [100] = 'Hi', [300] = 'Hello' },
@@ -308,17 +306,15 @@ format_test {
     expect = '{\n    { a = \'hello\', b = \'hi\'    },\n    { a = \'hi\',    b = \'hello\' }\n}',
 }
 
-if HAS_UNICODE_IDEN then
+format_test {
-    format_test {
     name = 'Proper alignment when using unicode characters as keys',
-        input  = loadstring [[return {
+    input  = {
-            djævle = 'dyr?',
+        ['djævle'] = 'dyr?',
-            europa = 'måne',
+        ['europa'] = 'måne',
-            øå     = 'en å på en ø?',
+        ['øå']     = 'en å på en ø?',
-        }]] (),
+    },
     expect = '{\n    djævle = \'dyr?\',\n    europa = \'måne\',\n    øå     = \'en å på en ø?\'\n}',
-    }
+}
-end
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- Table recursion

test/test_sorting.lua

@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ format_test {
     expect = '{ b = true, a = {} }',
 }
 
+format_test {
+    name   = 'Keys should be sorted such that uppercase and lowercase lies near each other',
+    input  = { Dave = 1, dave = 2, mary = 3, Mary = 4, Adam = 5, adam = 6 },
+    expect = '{\n    Adam = 5,\n    adam = 6,\n    Dave = 1,\n    dave = 2,\n    Mary = 4,\n    mary = 3\n}',
+}
+
 format_test {
     input  = { a = {}, b = true, b1 = false },
     expect = '{ b = true, b1 = false, a = {} }',