adoptation of swipe-direction script by ScottPhillips https://github.com/ScottPhillips/swipe-direction/blob/master/swipe-direction.lua for Defold engine using mouse_trigger instead touch_trigger

swipe_mouse.lua

local beginX
local beginY
local endX
local endY

local startTime = 0

local xDistance
local yDistance

go.property("minSwipeDistance", 40)
go.property("minSwipeTime", 0.6)

local bDoingTouch
local totalSwipeDistanceLeft
local totalSwipeDistanceRight
local totalSwipeDistanceUp
local totalSwipeDistanceDown

function checkSwipeDirection(self)
  if bDoingTouch == true then
    xDistance =  math.abs(endX - beginX) -- math.abs will return the absolute, or non-negative value, of a given value.
    yDistance =  math.abs(endY - beginY)
    if xDistance > yDistance then
      if beginX > endX then
        totalSwipeDistanceLeft = beginX - endX
        if totalSwipeDistanceLeft > self.minSwipeDistance then
          print("Swiped Left")
        end
      else
        totalSwipeDistanceRight = endX - beginX
        if totalSwipeDistanceRight > self.minSwipeDistance then
          print("Swiped Right")
        end
      end
    else
     if beginY > endY then
        totalSwipeDistanceUp = beginY - endY
        if totalSwipeDistanceUp > self.minSwipeDistance then
          print("Swiped Down")
        end
       else
        totalSwipeDistanceDown = endY - beginY
        if totalSwipeDistanceDown > self.minSwipeDistance then
          print("Swiped Up")
        end
       end
    end
  end
end

function init(self)
    msg.post(".", "acquire_input_focus")
end

function final(self)
    msg.post(".", "release_input_focus")
end

function on_input(self, action_id, action)
  if action_id == hash("click") then
    if action.pressed then
      bDoingTouch = true
      beginX = action.x
      beginY = action.y
      startTime = os.clock()
    elseif action.released  then
      endX = action.x
      endY = action.y
      if os.clock() - startTime < self.minSwipeTime then
      	checkSwipeDirection(self);
      end
      bDoingTouch = false
    end
  end
end