Solution for: http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1462506&p=47602760&viewfull=1#post47602760

table_help.lua

-- Solution for: http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1462506&p=47602760&viewfull=1#post47602760
local getinfo, getlocal, gsub = debug.getinfo, debug.getlocal, string.gsub
string.Interp = function(str, tbl)
    local funcname = getinfo(1.0, "n").name
    assert(funcname == "Interp", "nope.")
    for argc = 1.0, getinfo(1.0).nparams, 1.0 do
        local argname = getlocal(1.0, argc)
        -- Hard-coded with <3 by OmegaExtern.
        if argc == 1.0 and argname == "str" then
            assert(type(str) == "string" and isstring(str), Format("bad argument #%i (%s) to '%s' (string expected, got %s)", argc, argname, funcname, type(str)))
        elseif argc == 2.0 and argname == "tbl" then
            assert(type(tbl) == "table" and istable(tbl), Format("bad argument #%i (%s) to '%s' (table expected, got %s)", argc, argname, funcname, type(tbl)))
        else
            error("nope.")
        end
    end
    return gsub(str, "{(%w+)}", tbl)
end
local out = Format("{%s}", string.Interp("m {m} x {x} c {cr} {cg} {cb} r {r} y {y} sa {sa} dt {dt} su {su}",
                                            {
                                                m = "gui/center_gradient",
                                                x = 181.0,
                                                cr = 0.0,
                                                cg = 0.0,
                                                cb = 0.0,
                                                r = 0.0,
                                                y = 27.0,
                                                sa = 50.0,
                                                dt = "default",
                                                su = 50.0
                                            } -- Input your (valid) "drawtable" table here.
                                        )
                  )
print(out) --Outputs:{m gui/center_gradient x 181 c 0 0 0 r 0 y 27 sa 50 dt default su 50}

-- On saving, call util.Compress(string):
file.Write("picture_1.txt", util.Compress(out))

-- On opening, call util.Decompress(string):
util.Decompress(file.Read("picture_1.txt"))