Authored by Roberto Ierusalimschy, the chief architect of the language, this volume covers all aspects of Lua 5---from the basics to its API with C---explaining how to make good use of its features and giving numerous code examples. (Computer Books)

This book is for students and professionals who are intrigued by the prospect of learning and using a powerful language that provides a rich infrastructure for creating programs. No programming knowledge is necessary to benefit from this book except for the section on Lua bindings, which requires some familiarity with the C programming language. A certain comfort level with command-line operations, text editing, and directory structures is assumed. You need surprisingly little in the way of computer resources to learn and use Lua. This book focuses on Windows and Unix-like (including Linux) systems, but any operating system that supports a command shell should be suitable. You'll need a text editor to prepare and save Lua scripts. If you choose to extend Lua with libraries written in a programming language like C, you'll need a suitable software development kit. Many of these kits are freely available on the Internet but, unlike Lua, they can consume prodigious amounts of disk space and memory.

The easiest way to learn Lua programming Key Features The easiest way to learn Lua coding Use the Lua standard libraries and debug Lua code Embed Lua as a scripting language using the Lua C API Book Description Lua is a small, powerful and extendable scripting/programming language that can be used for learning to program, and writing games and applications, or as an embedded scripting language. There are many popular commercial projects that allow you to modify or extend them through Lua scripting, and this book will get you ready for that. This book is the easiest way to learn Lua. It introduces you to the basics of Lua and helps you to understand the problems it solves. You will work with the basic language features, the libraries Lua provides, and powerful topics such as object-oriented programming. Every aspect of programming in Lua, variables, data types, functions, tables, arrays and objects, is covered in sufficient detail for you to get started. You will also find out about Lua's module system and how to interface with the operating system. After reading this book, you will be ready to use Lua as a programming language to write code that can interface with the operating system, automate tasks, make playable games, and much more. This book is a solid starting point for those who want to learn Lua in order to move onto other technologies such as Love2D or Roblox. A quick start guide is a focused, shorter title that provides a faster paced introduction to a technology. It is designed for people who don't need all the details at this point in their learning curve. This presentation has been streamlined to concentrate on the things you really need to know. What you will learn Understand the basics of programming the Lua language Understand how to use tables, the data structure that makes Lua so powerful Understand object-oriented programming in Lua using metatables Understand standard LUA libraries for math, file io, and more Manipulate string data using Lua Understand how to debug Lua applications quickly and effciently Understand how to embed Lua into applications with the Lua C API Who this book is for This book is for developers who want to get up and running with Lua. This book is ideal for programmers who want to learn to embed Lua in their own applications, as well as for beginner programmers who have never coded before.

This collection of articles record some of the existing wisdom and practice on how to program well in Lua. In well-written articles that go much beyond the brief informal exchange of tips in the mailing list or the wiki, the authors share their mastery of all aspects of Lua programming, elementary and advanced. The articles cover a wide spectrum of areas and approaches, with authors from both the industry and academia and titles about game programming, programming techniques, embedding and extending, algorithms and data structures, and design techniques.

In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, Coding with Roblox Lua in 24 Hours: The Official Roblox Guide helps you learn all the skills and techniques you'll need to code your own Roblox experiences. Perfect for beginners, each short and easy lesson builds upon everything that's come before, helping you quickly master the essentials of Lua programming. Step-by-step instructions walk you through common questions, issues, and tasks; Q&As, Quizzes, and Exercises build and test your knowledge; “Did You Know?” tips offer insider advice and shortcuts; and “Watch Out!” alerts help you avoid pitfalls. Learn how to... * Code with properties, variables, functions, if/then statements, and loops * Organize information using arrays and dictionaries * Work with events to make things move, explode, count down, and do whatever you can imagine * Keep your code manageable with abstractions and object-oriented programming * Store data permanently to create leaderboards, inventories, and custom currency * Use raycasting to allow visitors to place their own objects, such as furniture and props, within your world

If you are a game developer or a general programmer who wishes to focus on programming systems and techniques to build your game AI without creating low-level interfaces in a game engine, then this book is for you. Knowledge of C++ will come in handy to debug the entirety of the AI sandbox and expand on the features present within the book, but it is not required.

The #1 bestselling programming book is back with updated and expanded coverage of the newest release of WoW! World of Warcraft (WoW) is currently the world's largest massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The newest release, "Wrath of the Lich King," has created a demand for updated information on writing addons. This eagerly anticipated edition answers that request and is an essential reference for creating WoW addons. Written by a duo of authors who have each contributed a number of successful WoW addons, the book offers an overview of Lua and XML (the programming languages used to write addons) and includes coverage of specific pitfalls and common programming mistakes-and how to avoid them. Valuable examples show you detailed aspects of writing addons for WoW and demonstrate how to implement addon concepts such as variables, slash commands, secure templates, and more. World of Warcraft insiders share their techniques for writing addons for both the latest version of WoW as well as the new Wrath of the Lich King expansion set Guides you through the specific nuances of the WoW API with the use of detailed examples Discusses ways to distribute and host your WoW addons so others can download and use them Explains how to respond to events, create frames, and use the WoW API to interact with the game You'll be well on your way to creating exciting WoW addons with this comprehensive reference by your side. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Use Wireshark 2 to overcome real-world network problems Key Features Delve into the core functionalities of the latest version of Wireshark Master network security skills with Wireshark 2 Efficiently find the root cause of network-related issues Book Description Wireshark, a combination of a Linux distro (Kali) and an open source security framework (Metasploit), is a popular and powerful tool. Wireshark is mainly used to analyze the bits and bytes that flow through a network. It efficiently deals with the second to the seventh layer of network protocols, and the analysis made is presented in a form that can be easily read by people. Mastering Wireshark 2 helps you gain expertise in securing your network. We start with installing and setting up Wireshark2.0, and then explore its interface in order to understand all of its functionalities. As you progress through the chapters, you will discover different ways to create, use, capture, and display filters. By halfway through the book, you will have mastered Wireshark features, analyzed different layers of the network protocol, and searched for anomalies. You’ll learn about plugins and APIs in depth. Finally, the book focuses on pocket analysis for security tasks, command-line utilities, and tools that manage trace files. By the end of the book, you'll have learned how to use Wireshark for network security analysis and configured it for troubleshooting purposes. What you will learn Understand what network and protocol analysis is and how it can help you Use Wireshark to capture packets in your network Filter captured traffic to only show what you need Explore useful statistic displays to make it easier to diagnose issues Customize Wireshark to your own specifications Analyze common network and network application protocols Who this book is for If you are a security professional or a network enthusiast and are interested in understanding the internal working of networks, and if you have some prior knowledge of using Wireshark, then this book is for you.

The Lua language allows developers to create everything from simple to advanced applications and to create the games they want. Creating a good game is an art, and using the right tools and knowledge is essential in making game development easier. This book will guide you through each part of building your game engine and will help you understand how computer games are built. The book starts with simple game concepts used mainly in 2D side-scroller games, and moves on to advanced 3D games. Plus, the scripting capabilities of the Lua language give you full control over game. By the end of this book, you will have learned all about the components that go into a game, created a game, and solved the problems that may arise along the way.