WoW:Lua

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→ WoW Lua

← WoW Lua

Lua, from the Portuguese word for "moon" , is a general scripting language, and is used in many games, including World of Warcraft for interface customization.

In WoW only subset of Lua version 5.1 is implemented, which should suit most addon maker's needs. More information about Lua can be found on the official Lua FAQ.

Programming references

The following are places to look for information on the Lua language itself. For these it helps if you are already familiar with programming in general.

• Official Reference Manual - Contains Lua syntax and basic commands, but is a heavy, highly-technical read for those without a programming background. See Luai for and alternative way of browsing the manual.

• Programming in Lua - Definitive Lua guide by Roberto Ierusalimschy. See also the online version.

• lua-users - A Lua user group with a Wiki. Includes a FAQ, tutorials and extended help on many topics. The group also hosts a mailing list with past archive, and a IRC channel #lua at irc.freenode.net. Their LuaLinks page is very extensive.

Lua Editors

While any text editor can edit Lua files, many contain additional programming or even Lua specific features.

See Lua editors

Using Lua for WoW

Related projects include:

• WoWBench - Aims to be a near-complete emulation of the WoW environment.
• Lua 5.1.1 WoW - Distribution created by cogwheel that includes everything needed for addon development

See also

• Lua variable scoping - Guide for Lua scoping rules
• Lua functions - Functions available in the World of Warcraft API
• User defined functions - Useful functions written by addon authors
• Lua file - File format for a Lua file in a WoW AddOn
• Lua object memory sizes - Treatise on memory in Lua
• World of Warcraft API - Lists global API functions provided in WoW