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LUA(1)			     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.

     After handling the options, the Lua program in file script  is  loaded  and
     executed.	 The  args  are available to script as strings in a global table
     named arg and also as arguments to its main function.  When called  without
     arguments,  lua  behaves  as lua -v -i if the standard input is a terminal,
     and as lua - otherwise.

     In interactive mode, lua prompts the user, reads lines  from  the	standard
     input, and executes them as they are read.  If the line contains an expres-
     sion, then the line is evaluated and the result is printed.  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.

     Before  handling  command line options and scripts, lua checks the contents
     of the environment variables LUA_INIT_5_4 and LUA_INIT, in that order.   If
     the  contents are of the form '@filename', then filename is executed.  Oth-
     erwise, the contents are assumed to be a Lua  statement  and  is  executed.
     When LUA_INIT_5_4 is defined, LUA_INIT is ignored.

OPTIONS
     -e stat
	    execute statement stat.

     -i     enter interactive mode after executing script.

     -l mod
	    require library mod into global mod.

     -l g=mod
	    require library mod into global g.

     -v     show version information.

     -E     ignore environment variables.

     -W     turn warnings on.

     --     stop handling options.

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

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
     The  following environment variables affect the execution of lua.	When de-
     fined, the version-specific variants take priority and the  version-neutral
     variants are ignored.

     LUA_INIT, LUA_INIT_5_4
	    Code to be executed before command line options and scripts.

     LUA_PATH, LUA_PATH_5_4
	    Initial  value  of	package.path, the path used by require to search
	    for Lua loaders.

     LUA_CPATH, LUA_CPATH_5_4
	    Initial value of package.cpath, the path used by require  to  search
	    for C loaders.

EXIT STATUS
     If a script calls os.exit, then lua exits with the given exit status.  Oth-
     erwise,  lua  exits with EXIT_SUCCESS (0 on POSIX systems) if there were no
     errors and with EXIT_FAILURE (1 on POSIX systems)	if  there  were  errors.
     Errors raised in interactive mode do not cause exits.

DIAGNOSTICS
     Error messages should be self explanatory.

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

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

			  $Date: 2024/05/08 18:48:27 $			  LUA(1)

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