Lua Getting started with Lua Executing Lua programs

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Example

Usually, Lua is being shipped with two binaries:

  • lua - standalone interpreter and interactive shell
  • luac - bytecode compiler

Lets say we have an example program (bottles_of_mate.lua) like this:

local string = require "string"    

function bottle_take(bottles_available)

    local count_str = "%d bottles of mate on the wall."
    local take_str = "Take one down, pass it around, " .. count_str
    local end_str = "Oh noes, " .. count_str
    local buy_str = "Get some from the store, " .. count_str
    local bottles_left = 0

    if bottles_available > 0 then
         print(string.format(count_str, bottles_available))
         bottles_left = bottles_available - 1
         print(string.format(take_str, bottles_left))
    else
        print(string.format(end_str, bottles_available))
        bottles_left = 99
        print(string.format(buy_str, bottles_left))
    end

    return bottles_left
end

local bottle_count = 99

while true do
    bottle_count = bottle_take(bottle_count)
end

The program itself can be ran by executing following on Your shell:

$ lua bottles_of_mate.lua

Output should look like this, running in the endless loop:

Get some from the store, 99 bottles of mate on the wall.
99 bottles of mate on the wall.
Take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of mate on the wall.
98 bottles of mate on the wall.
Take one down, pass it around, 97 bottles of mate on the wall.
97 bottles of mate on the wall.
...
...
3 bottles of mate on the wall.
Take one down, pass it around, 2 bottles of mate on the wall.
2 bottles of mate on the wall.
Take one down, pass it around, 1 bottles of mate on the wall.
1 bottles of mate on the wall.
Take one down, pass it around, 0 bottles of mate on the wall.
Oh noes, 0 bottles of mate on the wall.
Get some from the store, 99 bottles of mate on the wall.
99 bottles of mate on the wall.
Take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of mate on the wall.
...

You can compile the program into Lua's bytecode by executing following on Your shell:

$ luac bottles_of_mate.lua -o bottles_of_mate.luac

Also bytecode listing is available by executing following:

$ luac -l bottles_of_mate.lua


main <./bottles.lua:0,0> (13 instructions, 52 bytes at 0x101d530)
0+ params, 4 slots, 0 upvalues, 2 locals, 4 constants, 1 function
    1    [1]    GETGLOBAL    0 -1    ; require
    2    [1]    LOADK        1 -2    ; "string"
    3    [1]    CALL         0 2 2
    4    [22]    CLOSURE      1 0    ; 0x101d710
    5    [22]    MOVE         0 0
    6    [3]    SETGLOBAL    1 -3    ; bottle_take
    7    [24]    LOADK        1 -4    ; 99
    8    [27]    GETGLOBAL    2 -3    ; bottle_take
    9    [27]    MOVE         3 1
    10    [27]    CALL         2 2 2
    11    [27]    MOVE         1 2
    12    [27]    JMP          -5    ; to 8
    13    [28]    RETURN       0 1

function <./bottles.lua:3,22> (46 instructions, 184 bytes at 0x101d710)
1 param, 10 slots, 1 upvalue, 6 locals, 9 constants, 0 functions
    1    [5]    LOADK        1 -1    ; "%d bottles of mate on the wall."
    2    [6]    LOADK        2 -2    ; "Take one down, pass it around, "
    3    [6]    MOVE         3 1
    4    [6]    CONCAT       2 2 3
    5    [7]    LOADK        3 -3    ; "Oh noes, "
    6    [7]    MOVE         4 1
    7    [7]    CONCAT       3 3 4
    8    [8]    LOADK        4 -4    ; "Get some from the store, "
    9    [8]    MOVE         5 1
    10    [8]    CONCAT       4 4 5
    11    [9]    LOADK        5 -5    ; 0
    12    [11]    EQ           1 0 -5    ; - 0
    13    [11]    JMP          16    ; to 30
    14    [12]    GETGLOBAL    6 -6    ; print
    15    [12]    GETUPVAL     7 0    ; string
    16    [12]    GETTABLE     7 7 -7    ; "format"
    17    [12]    MOVE         8 1
    18    [12]    MOVE         9 0
    19    [12]    CALL         7 3 0
    20    [12]    CALL         6 0 1
    21    [13]    SUB          5 0 -8    ; - 1
    22    [14]    GETGLOBAL    6 -6    ; print
    23    [14]    GETUPVAL     7 0    ; string
    24    [14]    GETTABLE     7 7 -7    ; "format"
    25    [14]    MOVE         8 2
    26    [14]    MOVE         9 5
    27    [14]    CALL         7 3 0
    28    [14]    CALL         6 0 1
    29    [14]    JMP          15    ; to 45
    30    [16]    GETGLOBAL    6 -6    ; print
    31    [16]    GETUPVAL     7 0    ; string
    32    [16]    GETTABLE     7 7 -7    ; "format"
    33    [16]    MOVE         8 3
    34    [16]    MOVE         9 0
    35    [16]    CALL         7 3 0
    36    [16]    CALL         6 0 1
    37    [17]    LOADK        5 -9    ; 99
    38    [18]    GETGLOBAL    6 -6    ; print
    39    [18]    GETUPVAL     7 0    ; string
    40    [18]    GETTABLE     7 7 -7    ; "format"
    41    [18]    MOVE         8 4
    42    [18]    MOVE         9 5
    43    [18]    CALL         7 3 0
    44    [18]    CALL         6 0 1
    45    [21]    RETURN       5 2
    46    [22]    RETURN       0 1


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