lua-patterns

name	lua-patterns
description	Lua architecture reference - frameworks, metatables, coroutines, game dev, embedded scripting, and production best practices for 2024-2025. Use when making architectural decisions, reviewing Lua code, or selecting libraries.
user-invocable	true
argument-hint	[frameworks|patterns|architecture|practices|features|all]

Lua Architecture Patterns

Quick Navigation

• Frameworks & Libraries - Game dev, web, embedded, tooling
• Design Patterns - OOP, factory, observer, state machines
• Architecture - ECS, plugins, MVC, project structures
• Best Practices - Performance, error handling, modules
• Language Features - Metatables, coroutines, FFI, sandboxing

Decision Framework

Domain	Stack	Why
Game dev (2D)	Love2D + bump + hump	Mature ecosystem, fast iteration, LuaJIT performance
Game dev (3D/mobile)	Defold	Built-in editor, cross-platform, free
Game dev (platform)	Roblox/Luau	Massive audience, type-safe Lua dialect
Web/Backend	OpenResty + Lapis	Nginx-level perf, non-blocking I/O, cosocket API
API Gateway	Kong	Plugin architecture, declarative config, enterprise support
Embedded/IoT	NodeMCU (ESP8266/32)	Tiny footprint, event-driven, WiFi/MQTT built in
Editor scripting	Neovim Lua API	First-class Lua, async, treesitter integration
Config/scripting host	Embed Lua 5.4 C API	300KB footprint, sandboxable, battle-tested

Recommended Stack 2025

• Language server: lua-language-server (sumneko)
• Linter: Luacheck
• Formatter: StyLua
• Package manager: LuaRocks
• Type annotations: LuaCATS (lua-language-server) or Teal
• Testing: Busted + luacov
• CI: Luacheck + StyLua --check + Busted

Lua Versions

Version	Status	Key Features
Lua 5.4	Current stable (Dec 2023)	Integers, to-be-closed vars, generational GC
Lua 5.5	In development	Under-construction, not for production
LuaJIT 2.1	Stable (rolling)	Trace JIT, FFI, bitop, ~5-50x faster than PUC Lua
Luau	Active (Roblox)	Type annotations, type inference, no JIT but fast VM

Production Users

User	Scale	Use Case
Roblox	70M+ DAU	Game scripting (Luau)
Kong	Billions req/day	API gateway plugins
Neovim	Millions of users	Editor config and plugins
World of Warcraft	Millions of players	Addon system
Cloudflare	Millions of sites	WAF rules, Workers (historical)
Warframe	70M+ registered	Game scripting
Redis	Ubiquitous	EVAL scripting
NGINX/OpenResty	Millions of servers	Request handling, routing
Adobe Lightroom	Millions of users	Plugin system
VLC	Millions of users	Extension scripting

Related Skills

• dev-patterns — Language-agnostic design principles
• qa-patterns — Testing strategies and quality gates