LUA(1)                  FreeBSD General Commands Manual                 LUA(1)

NAME
       lua - Lua interpreter

SYNOPSIS
       lua [ options ] [ script [ args ] ]

DESCRIPTION
       lua is the standalone Lua interpreter.  It loads and executes Lua
       programs, either in textual source form or in precompiled binary form.
       (Precompiled binaries are output by luac, the Lua compiler.)  lua can
       be used as a batch interpreter and also interactively.

       The given options are handled in order and then the Lua program in file
       script is loaded and executed.  The given args are available to script
       as strings in a global table named arg.  If no options or arguments are
       given, then -v -i is assumed when the standard input is a terminal;
       otherwise, - is assumed.

       In interactive mode, lua prompts the user, reads lines from the
       standard input, and executes them as they are read.  If a line does not
       contain a complete statement, then a secondary prompt is displayed and
       lines are read until a complete statement is formed or a syntax error
       is found.  If a line starts with '=', then lua evaluates and displays
       the values of the expressions in the remainder of the line.

       At the very start, before even handling the command line, lua checks
       the contents of the environment variables LUA_INIT_5_2 or LUA_INIT, in
       that order.  If the contents is of the form '@filename', then filename
       is executed.  Otherwise, the string is assumed to be a Lua statement
       and is executed.

OPTIONS
       -e stat
              execute statement stat.

       -i     enter interactive mode after executing script.

       -l name
              execute the equivalent of name=require('name') before executing
              script.

       -v     show version information.

       -E     ignore environment variables.

       --     stop handling options.

       -      stop handling options and execute the standard input as a file.

SEE ALSO
       luac(1)
       The documentation at lua.org, especially section 7 of the reference
       manual.

DIAGNOSTICS
       Error messages should be self explanatory.

AUTHORS
       R. Ierusalimschy, L. H. de Figueiredo, W. Celes

                         $Date: 2011/11/16 17:16:53 $                   LUA(1)