Help:Lua

Lua is available as a templating language on Fandom, helping to provide users with the ability to create more maintainable templates, and to improve the performance of some of our slowest pages.

Lua is a different coding experience to basic wikitext templates, resembling a more 'traditional' programming syntax. It offers two key advantages: first and foremost is that logical functionality – 'if', 'else', and 'while' statements along with arrays and variable definition, for instance - is built in to the Lua language, making the implementation of basic logic much easier in Lua than via MediaWiki's other methods. Secondly, because Lua is streamlined for logical operations, it is much more technically efficient.

Enabling and support

Lua is enabled by default on all wikis. When enabled, the general standard Lua libraries along with the specialized Scribunto libraries are also available. Additionally, InfoboxBuilder will be automatically bundled in the installation.

For more background on the tool read our introduction to Lua and introduction to InfoboxBuilder.

Lua module repository

Lua modules can also be loaded from the Fandom Open Source Library using require("Dev:ModuleName"), as opposed to require("Module:ModuleName"). These so-called "global modules" are described in more detail here.

Documentation and help

Lua documentation on the Fandom Open Source Library:

• Converting wikitext templates
• InfoboxBuilder, a tool for building infoboxes.
• Reference manual, a comprehensive documentation page of Lua code
• Scribunto libraries
• Standard Lua libraries
• More help pages

In addition to this documentation, we have a forum board set up here to ask questions and get help.

See also

• Lua on Wikipedia
• Lua modules on Wikipedia
• Lua-based templates on Wikipedia
• Scribunto extension page

Fandom Open Source Library (dev.wikia.com)

• Lua reference manual
  • Scribunto libraries
  • Standard libraries
• Lua templating
  • Basics
  • Converting Wikitext templates
  • Debug console
  • Getting started
  • Glossary
  • InfoboxBuilder
  • Tips and tricks

Further help and feedback

• Browse and search other help pages at Help:Contents
• Check Fandom Community Central for sources of further help and support
• Check Contacting Fandom for how to report any errors or unclear steps in this article