Contents Getting Situated First Steps Extending Lua with Functions Working with Tables Using Strings Handling and Avoiding Errors Using Modules Extending Lua’s Behavior with Metamethods Handling Events Naturally with Coroutines Looking Under the Hood Exploring Lua’s Libraries Using Community Libraries Interfacing Lua with Other Languages Managing Information with Databases Programming for the Web Connecting to a Larger World Programming Games with Lua Carrying Lua with You Fitting into the Lua Community functionalityAcustom program for your handheld device that you can use in the fieldScripts to drive the user interface and business logic of an enterprise-level applicationAn engine to run gaming scriptsAn interface language for scientific instrumentationAscripted way to monitor the health of a computer networkArobust mechanism to allow end users to set application options in an easy-to-understand con-figuration fileIf so, you’ll find this versatile and fast programming language called Lua to be the perfect tool. Lua has agentle learning curve that will enable you to write effective programs after only a short introduction.With it, simple programs look simple—there is no extraneous baggage you need to add to your programsor peculiar syntax to which you need to conform to make them run. From the examples in the precedinglist, you can see that Lua is quite appropriate for use by technically adept individuals who aren’t neces-sarily programmers.At the other end of the continuum, Lua has features that support advanced program requirements.It imposes very few conventions on the way you write your programs, instead providing mechanismswith which you can construct clear and maintainable solutions to your programming tasks. Even experi-enced software developers find novel and powerful ways of using Lua to extend and simplify theirapplications.Lua is robust, yet its mild entry curve makes it quite suitable as a first programming language. In combi-nation, these make Lua an attractive language for students and professionals alike.