Lua-Versatile Scripting Language

Example

local player = {name = 'John', score = 100}

Scenario

Tables serve as the sole data structuring mechanism in Lua, resembling arrays, dictionaries, or lists found in other languages. They're used extensively for configurations, storing game states, or any structured data manipulation.

Example

coroutine.create(function () print('Hello World') end)

Scenario

Coroutines allow for cooperative multitasking within Lua scripts, useful in game development for scripting complex AI behaviors or in web applications for managing asynchronous tasks without blocking.

Example

setmetatable({}, {__index = function (table, key) return 'default' end})

Scenario

Metatables allow users to change the behavior of tables, including how operations like addition or indexing work. They enable object-oriented patterns, operator overloading, and can be used to implement inheritance and encapsulation.

Example

local a = {}; a = nil -- Lua's garbage collector cleans up

Scenario

Lua's built-in garbage collector automates memory management, freeing developers from manual memory allocation and deallocation. This is crucial in long-running applications to prevent memory leaks.

Example

Creating a Lua state in C with luaL_newstate()

Scenario

The Lua C API allows for embedding Lua into C/C++ applications, providing a bridge between Lua and the host application for extending functionalities, customizing behaviors, or exposing system libraries to Lua scripts.