Basic Syntax

-- Variables
local name = "John"
local age = 30
local pi = 3.14

-- Functions
function greet(name)
    return "Hello, " .. name
end

-- Tables (arrays and objects)
local fruits = {"apple", "banana", "cherry"}
local person = {name = "John", age = 30}

-- Loops
for i = 1, 10 do
    print(i)
end

for index, value in ipairs(fruits) do
    print(index, value)
end

-- Conditionals
if age >= 18 then
    print("Adult")
else
    print("Minor")
end

Tables

Metatables

local mt = {
    __add = function(a, b) return a.value + b.value end,
    __tostring = function(t) return "Value: " .. t.value end
}

local obj = {value = 10}
setmetatable(obj, mt)

print(obj + {value = 5})  -- 15

Best Practices

• Use local variables for scope control
• Tables start at index 1, not 0
• Use metatables for OOP patterns
• Lua is commonly embedded in games