Lua Tutorial - Learn Lua Programming (original) (raw)

This Lua tutorial lets you explore a new language, Lua. This tutorial has everything from fundamentals of the programming language to advanced concepts. After completing this tutorial, you will find yourself good with programming using Lua.

What is Lua?

Lua is an open source language built on top of C programming language. It is exclusively designed for embedded systems. It features dynamic typing, simple syntax and efficient memory management. Lua has its value across multiple platforms ranging from large server systems to small mobile applications.

The name "Lua" means 'Moon' in Portuguese. We should write as "Lua" not "LUA" because LUA can have different meanings for different people and confusing also.

Why Choose Lua?

Lua is free open-source software, known especially for game development. Some key features which makes Lua a popular choice are −

• Syntax of Lua is simple and minimal which makes it easy to learn.
• Lua uses dynamic typing, where we can assign any value to a variable without explicit type declaration.
• Lua can integrate with other programming languages and systems, which is used in multi-language projects.
• Lua is fast in terms of performance.
• Lua is portable i.e, runs perfectly on all platforms that has a standard C compiler like embedded processors, mobile devices and windows.

Jobs & Opportunities

Well , learning only Lua wouldn't help you get any job but Lua is quite an important tool to be skilled in if an individual is looking for these jobs −

• Game Developers
• Embedded systems developer
• Gameplay Programmer
• Software Developer

Lua- Scripted video games

Lua programming language is popularly used for scripting video games, as it relatively eases the process of embedding and deploying. Some notable games that use Lua are −

• World of Warcraft
• ROBLOX
• Angry Birds

Lua "Hello, World!"

To start with Lua programming, the very basic program is to print "Hello, World!". You can use the print() function. Below is an example of Lua code to print "Hello, World!" −

-- Lua code to print "Hello, World!" print ("Hello, World!")

Lua Online Compiler

Our Lua programming tutorial provides various examples to explain different concepts. We have provided Online Lua Compiler/Interpreter. You can Edit and Execute almost all the examples directly from your browser without the need to set up your development environment.

Try to click the icon to run the following Lua code to print conventional "Hello, World!".

Below code box allows you to change the value of the code. Try to change the value inside print() and run it again to verify the result.

main.lua

-- This is my first Lua program. -- This will print 'Hello, World!' as the output

print ("Hello, World!");

Prerequisites to Learn Lua

You don't have to know a lot of Prerequisites to learn Lua. However, knowledge on fundamental topics would make the process easy. Understanding basic programming concepts, scripting concepts and development environment would help even if you are a total beginner. Additionally, start the learning process with tutorials and explore sample codes.

Who Should Learn Lua?

This tutorial is designed for all those readers who are looking for a starting point to learn Lua. It has topics suitable for both beginners as well as advanced users.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lua

There are some important frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Lua, this section lists them down along with their answers briefly −

What is Lua and where is it commonly used?

Lua is a lightweight, embeddable scripting language. It's often used in game development, web applications, embedded systems, and as a configuration language.

Is Lua object-oriented?

Lua supports object-oriented programming through tables and metatables, but it doesn't have classes in the traditional sense.

Is Lua a compiled or interpreted language?

Lua is typically interpreted, but it can also be compiled into bytecode for performance optimization.

What are the basic data types in Lua?

Lua supports numbers, strings, booleans, nil, tables, functions, and userdata.

What is the role of metatables in Lua?

Metatables allow you to customize the behavior of Lua tables, enabling features like operator overloading and metamethods.

Why is Lua popular in game development?

Lua's simplicity, fast execution, and embeddability make it a suitable choice for scripting game logic, AI, and user interfaces.

What are some popular game engines that use Lua?

Unity, Roblox, and World of Warcraft are notable examples of game engines that utilize Lua.

How does Lua compare to other scripting languages in terms of performance?

Lua is generally considered a fast scripting language, often outperforming other scripting languages in benchmarks.

How can I get started with Lua?

Follow this tutorial chapter-wise for a complete understanding about Lua programming. Start Lua by installing Lua, writing basic scripts, and exploring its core concepts like variables, data types, control flow, and functions.