Introduction to Lua and Writing Your First Program

What Is Lua?

Lua is a lightweight, high-level scripting language designed to be fast, simple, and easy to embed into other applications. It was created to give developers a flexible way to add logic and automation without the complexity of larger programming languages.

Lua focuses on:

• Simplicity
• Speed
• Portability
• Easy integration with other software

Unlike many languages, Lua is small in size but powerful in capability.

Where Is Lua Used?

Lua is used in many real-world applications, including:

• Game development
• Game engines and scripting systems
• Automation tools
• Embedded systems
• Configuration and extension systems

Because Lua is lightweight, it is often chosen when performance and flexibility are important.

How Lua Programs Work

A Lua program is a text file containing Lua instructions. These instructions are read and executed line by line from top to bottom.

Lua does not require:

• A main function
• Complex setup
• Strict file structures

This makes Lua beginner-friendly and easy to experiment with.

Your First Lua Program

Traditionally, the first program in any programming language displays a simple message on the screen. In Lua, this is done using the print function.

Example: Hello World Program

print("Hello, Lua!")

Explanation

• print is a built-in Lua function
• The text inside quotation marks is called a string
• The program outputs the text to the console

When you run this program, Lua displays:

Hello, Lua!

Understanding Functions in Simple Terms

A function is a reusable block of code that performs a specific task.

The `print` function:

• Takes a value as input
• Displays it on the screen

You will learn how to create your own functions in later lessons.

Writing Multiple Lines of Output

You can call the `print` function multiple times.

print("Welcome to Lua")print("This is your first program")print("Programming starts here")

Each `print` statement runs in order, producing output line by line.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Forgetting quotation marks around text
• Misspelling print
• Using incorrect capitalization (Print will not work)

Lua is case-sensitive, meaning uppercase and lowercase letters matter.

Practice Task

Try writing a Lua program that prints:

• Your name
• Your favorite hobby
• A message explaining why you want to learn Lua

Each message should appear on a separate line.

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, you learned:

• What Lua is and why it is used
• How Lua executes code
• How to write your first Lua program
• How to display output using print

You have officially written your first Lua program.