Is Lua still a relevant language?

Posted by H4cK3d-V1rU5@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 19 comments

Hi all, I wanted to get a general consensus on whether or not Lua is still a widely used languaged in 2024. Where is it useful? When is it useful? You get the point. Right now I'm mostly using Lua in the Roblox Studio engine and are hoping to be able to apply the language skills elsewhere when I eventually shift away from the engine.

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19 Comments

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bree_dev@reddit

[https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F0chpd,%2Fm%2F06ff5,%2Fm%2F0\_lcrx4](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F0chpd,%2Fm%2F06ff5,%2Fm%2F0_lcrx4) I picked a couple of less popular languages to compare it with, because "JavaScript" or "C++" just made the LUA line flat.

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master_mansplainer@reddit

I wouldn’t focus on lua, it’s a nice to have at best

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H4cK3d-V1rU5@reddit (OP)

i was previously learning C++ and was grasping it fairly quickly. Decided to put a halt on that and focus on something where I could create a dream project of mine

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glebcornery@reddit

Remember using lua while modding Civ 6

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SaracenBlood@reddit

If you like to make Rainmeter and Conky skins

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oldmanwillow21@reddit

It shows up in odd places. Fluentbit (similar to fluentd) uses LUA for writing custom filters, for example.

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sailorbob134280@reddit

I'll give another example: embedded systems scripting. In some complex embedded systems, it can be really nice to have a lightweight scripting language for high-level automation and autonomy. This makes it easier to change behavior or add new features without having to recompile and reflash a board, which can be time-consuming. Lua is really lightweight and quite fast, much more so than python. It's also simple enough to reasonably expect operators and non-programmers to pick it up if needed.

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teerre@reddit

Lua main point is that it's extremely simple. Basically everyone familiar with programming will quickly learn lua. So there's no real "lua programmer" because everyone is a lua programmer when needed. When its needed? There are many applications that use Lua as a script language. You already know about Roblox, but there's Neovim, an awesome text editor or Katana, a very high end application used in the movie industry.

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barraponto@reddit

It's also the scripting language for Don't Starve Together

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moebaca@reddit

Good points. I also use Lua in Fluent Bit when parsing logs. Fluent Bit is all about being as minimal on resource usage as possible which is why they went with embedding Lua. It's super simple and powerful.

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vonWitzleben@reddit

I remember reading this exact thread a couple days ago.

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H4cK3d-V1rU5@reddit (OP)

well i didnt post it

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Jonny0Than@reddit

Hah yep I did a double take and went to check. Just a random coincidence. Be sure to read the responses in the other thread too.

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RajjSinghh@reddit

It's the config language for neovim, one of the nicest text editors

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Howfuckingsad@reddit

The only time I remember using lua is when configuring neovim. It seems like a language that you shouldn't make your main priority in learning but there will be days when it will be useful.

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mandradon@reddit

It has made configuring NeoVim much easier for me compared to VIMscript. Plus, it's very fast.

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captainAwesomePants@reddit

See the last time someone asked this three days ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/s/e2JlqbVgKl

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Quantum-Bot@reddit

Lua’s claim to fame is having a crazy small compiler, which makes it perfect for embedding into other software like video games. That’s why you find it in places like Roblox or the computercraft mod for minecraft. Outside of those use cases, however, it’s not very popular for much else. Switching to a new language after your first is not that much work though, as long as the languages are mostly similar. All the conceptual stuff like loops and conditionals are the same, you just have to learn a new set of syntax rules.

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Bobbias@reddit

Lua is mostly used as an embedded language in other games, for modding or automation tasks. It's still relevant, but it is is a somewhat niche language. You won't find many programs written entirely in Lua.