Lua is a high-level scripting language created at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil in 1993. It is a multi-paradigm programming language which can be extended using meta-tables to support whatever program structure/methodology the developer wants to use.
At heart, Lua scripting revolves around "bridges" between the Lua script and the native code (written in C++ for example) which allows the Lua script to call specific functions in the native code. This way, the developers can open up certain aspects of the game to be modified or added on to without exposing vulnerable or system-critical areas to nefarious programmers. This is exemplified in how World of Warcraft handles their add-ons system, which is prone to constant changes as the developers enable or disable certain "scripting bridges" to avoid giving players who run certain add-ons from getting an unfair advantage over other players.
Log in to comment