Lua Quick Reference
Second Edition

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Published: May 2020
ISBN: 978-0-9912379-5-1
Pages: 169

Lua is a small, fast, powerful, and embeddable scripting language. It is well-suited for use in video games, application scripting, embedded devices, and nearly anywhere else a scripting language is needed. This quick reference contains a wealth of knowledge on how to program in and embed Lua, whether it is Lua 5.4, 5.3, 5.2, or 5.1. This book can even be used with LuaJIT, a Just-In-Time compiler for Lua based on Lua 5.1. Lua Quick Reference groups the language’s features and C API in a convenient and easy-to-use manner, while clearly marking the differences between Lua versions.

This book covers:

Lua syntax, expressions, and statements
Metatables and metamethods
Object-oriented programming with Lua
Creating and working with Lua and C Modules
Lua’s standard library and its C API
Collaborative multi-threading in Lua and C
How to embed and use Lua within a host
And much more

Mitchell commands over 15 years of experience programming in and embedding Lua in both the corporate and open-source realms.

Introduction
- Download
- Code Editors
- Conventions
- Terminology
- Environment Variables
Command Line Options
Part I: The Lua Language
- Fundamentals
- Comments
- Identifiers and Reserved Words
- Variables and Scopes
- Types
  - Nil
  - Booleans
  - Numbers
  - Strings
  - Functions
  - Tables
  - Threads
  - Userdata
  - Perform Basic Value Operations
- Expressions and Operators
  - Arithmetic Operators
  - Relational Operators
  - Logical Operators
  - Bitwise Operators
  - Other Operators
- Statements
  - Variable Assignment
  - Control Structures
  - Labels and Goto
- Functions
  - Functions with Variable Arguments
- Metatables and Metamethods
  - Assign and Retrieve Metatables
  - Arithmetic Metamethods
  - Relational Metamethods
  - Bitwise Metamethods
  - Closing Metamethod
  - Other Operator and Statement Metamethods
  - Function Metamethods
  - Bypass Metamethods
- Object-Oriented Programming
  - Define a Class
  - Utilize a Class
- Modules
  - Create a Lua Module
- Environments
- Error Handling and Warnings
- Load and Run Dynamic Code
- Numeric Facilities
  - Trigonometric Functions
  - Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
  - Generate Random Numbers
  - Work with Integers
- String Facilities
  - Create a Compound String
  - Query and Transform Strings
  - Search and Replace Within a String
  - Work with UTF-8 Strings
- Table and List Facilities
  - Iterate Over a Table
  - Manipulate Lists
  - Unpack Lists
  - Create Strings from Lists
- Thread Facilities
  - Create a Thread
  - Start, Resume, and Yield a Thread
  - Query Thread Status
- Input and Output Facilities
  - Simple Input and Output
  - Object-Oriented Input and Output
  - Manage Files
  - Start and Interact with a Process
- Operating System Facilities
  - Dates and Times
  - Locale Settings
- Memory Management
- Miscellaneous
Part II: The Lua C API
- C API Introduction
  - Compiling Lua Programs
- The Stack
  - Increase Stack Size
  - Work with Stack Indices
  - Push Values
  - Pop Values
  - Query Values
  - Retrieve Values
- Basic Stack Operations
  - Element Operations
  - Global Variable Operations
  - Arithmetic Operations
  - Relational Operations
  - Bitwise Operations
  - String Operations
  - Table Operations
  - Length Operations
  - Reference Operations
- C Functions
  - Define a C Function
  - Register a C Function
  - Call a C Function
- Metatables
  - Create or Fetch a Metatable
  - Assign a Metatable
  - Retrieve a Metatable
  - Metamethods and Metafields
- C Modules
- Error and Warning Handling
  - Retrieve Error Information
- Load and Run Dynamic Code
- Threading in C
  - Create a Thread
  - Start or Resume a Thread
  - Yield a Thread
  - Transfer Values Between Threads
  - Query a Thread’s Status
  - Call a Function that Yields
- Memory Management
- Miscellaneous
Lua API Index
Concept Index

Errata

None reported.

Lua Quick Reference

Table of Contents

Errata