Learn Lua in 15 Minutes

Abstraction: Concise Lua language tutorial covering syntax, tables, metatables, and modules

Key points:

• All Lua numbers are 64-bit doubles; only nil and false are falsy — 0 and empty string are truthy.
• Tables are Lua's sole compound data structure, serving as both dictionaries and arrays; array indices start at 1.
• Metatables enable operator overloading and prototype-based inheritance via __index, __add, and other metamethods.
• Functions are first-class values; closures, anonymous functions, and multiple return values are natively supported.
• Modules are implemented as tables returned from files loaded with require; require caches results so files run at most once.
• Written to accompany the Löve 2D game engine; the entire tutorial file is valid, runnable Lua.

Connections: Lua · Programming Languages · Scripting Languages · Metatables

Source: http://tylerneylon.com/a/learn-lua/