What is Lua written in?
The Lua runtime is written in C.
Lua is a lightweight programming language, first released in 1993.
Implementation
| Layer | Written in | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | C (since 1993) | Lua written in ANSI C |
Runtime model
The Lua runtime, written in C, manages the execution of Lua programs. Runtime-based languages rely on a host process to interpret or compile code at runtime rather than compiling entirely ahead-of-time to native machine code. This means running Lua programs requires the runtime to be present on the target system.
The choice of C for the runtime gives Lua access to native performance, established platform abstractions, and existing ecosystem libraries.
Explore in the Graph
See Lua's full lineage, including all implementation and influence relationships, in the interactive graph.
Open Interactive Graph →Or view the Lua language page for the complete record.