A simple, powerful scripting language

Lua is an embedded scripting language used in a wide range of different applications. Since its creation in 1993, it has been used for software ranging from Adobe’s Photoshop Lightroom to consumer middleware to video games. Indeed, this small and speedy scripting language is one of the most popular scripting languages in the video game field.

Power without complications

Lua’s small size (around 20,000 lines) makes it a lightweight scripting language. It builds on any platform with an ANSI C compiler, meaning that it can be used on anything from game consoles to mobile devices to web browsers. Lua can even be used to program toys like Lego Mindstorms. Its easy-to-understand syntax makes it a good choice for beginning programmers or computer science students, who can also count on help from its large and welcoming online community. There are also a number of good reference works available for those who want to learn more about the language. Like other lightweight languages, it lacks some of the components that programmers experienced in more robust languages might come to expect. It’s easy to get access to these in downloadable libraries, but it can lead to a little extra work when getting started.

Easy to embed and easy to use

Although Lua may lack some features, it is easy to embed in other software, if that’s what you’re looking for, it could be the language for you.