Small embeddable language with simple procedural syntax Lua is a programming language originally designed for extending applications, but also frequently used as a general-purpose, stand-alone language. Lua combines simple procedural syntax (similar to Pascal) with powerful data description constructs based on associative arrays and extensible semantics. Lua is dynamically typed, interpreted from bytecodes, and has automatic memory management, making it ideal for configuration, scripting, and rapid prototyping. Lua is implemented as a small library of C functions, written in ANSI C, and the implementation goals are simplicity, efficiency, portability, and low embedding cost.