Lua syntax error in an lmd cell
Q-26-1 — Lua syntax error in an lmd cell
The Lua in an lmd cell does not parse, so the cell cannot be desugared. The cell is left as written and does not run.
What this means
Before an lmd cell runs, Quarto desugars it: it parses the cell as Lua,
finds every markdown fragment ({=: … :=}, {=[ … ]=}, {= … =}) and
rewrites each one into pandoc.* constructor calls. That parse found a
Lua syntax error, so nothing in the cell could be rewritten and the cell
was not run. It stays in the rendered document as a plain code block, so
you can see what was written.
The warning points at the line and column of the error, counted inside the cell.
Why this happens
- An ordinary Lua typo: a missing
end, an unbalanced parenthesis, a stray operator at the end of a line. - A fragment that was never closed.
{=:must end with:=},{=[with]=}, and{=with=}; a fragment closed with the wrong delimiter swallows the rest of the cell and the Lua after it no longer parses. - A fragment written where Lua does not allow an expression, for example as a statement on its own line. A fragment is a value; assign it, return it, or pass it to a function.
How to fix
Read the position in the warning, correct the Lua, and render again. If the position is right after a fragment, check the fragment’s closing delimiter first.
```{lmd}
local x = 1
return {= a =} +
```The trailing + has no right operand. Delete it, or finish the
expression.