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Lua is a programming language originally designed for extending applications, |
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Lua is a programming language originally designed for extending |
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but also frequently used as a general-purpose, stand-alone language. Lua |
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applications, but also frequently used as a general-purpose, stand-alone |
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combines simple procedural syntax (similar to Pascal) with powerful data |
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language. Lua combines simple procedural syntax (similar to Pascal) with |
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description constructs based on associative arrays and extensible semantics. |
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powerful data description constructs based on associative arrays and |
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Lua is dynamically typed, interpreted from bytecodes, and has automatic memory |
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extensible semantics. Lua is dynamically typed, interpreted from bytecodes, |
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management with garbage collection, making it ideal for configuration, |
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and has automatic memory management with garbage collection, making it ideal |
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scripting, and rapid prototyping. |
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for configuration, scripting, and rapid prototyping. |
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A fundamental concept in the design of Lua is to provide meta-mechanisms for |
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A fundamental concept in the design of Lua is to provide meta-mechanisms for |
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implementing features, instead of providing a host of features directly in |
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implementing features, instead of providing a host of features directly in |
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the language. For example, although Lua is not a pure object-oriented |
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the language. For example, although Lua is not a pure object-oriented |
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language, it does provide meta-mechanisms for implementing classes and |
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language, it does provide meta-mechanisms for implementing classes and |
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inheritance. Lua's meta-mechanisms bring an economy of concepts and keep the |
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inheritance. Lua's meta-mechanisms bring an economy of concepts and keep the |
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language small, while allowing the semantics to be extended in unconventional |
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language small, while allowing the semantics to be extended in |
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ways. Extensible semantics is a distinguishing feature of Lua. |
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unconventional ways. Extensible semantics is a distinguishing feature of |
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Lua. |
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Lua is implemented as a small library of C functions, written in ANSI C, and |
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Lua is implemented as a small library of C functions, written in ANSI C, and |
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compiles unmodified in all known platforms. The implementation goals are |
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compiles unmodified in all known platforms. The implementation goals are |
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