Is LUA good for user scripting in games?

[James]

After all how tough would it be to read "then" from the user and replace it with "{" internally?

Please don't do that.

[xyzzy]

if you really wanted to limit syntax usage you would have to dig into provided scripts with lpeg or something, which would involve implementing some or all of lua's grammar, then throw an error if it finds a match... this might not even catch everything, though

it's fairly easy to sandbox user scripts in lua (but the way you do it will change in 5.2), but this still means you have to pay attention so you don't accidentally expose the global environment through a library function or something

but yes, as already mentioned, a fair amount of "security holes" when it comes to sandboxing are in the form of functions which you can either nil out, or if you are using a sandbox, not provide

i believe line-by-line debugging would be possible through the debug.sethook() function (and other debug.* ones)... but last i tried using that function in xlua it didn't work

[Retriever2]

XLua uses hooks for backtrace reporting, so maybe you'll have to turn that off first? XLua also provides an alternative hard sandbox that exists in a separate state, although it may not be the best choice.

[Pixelthief]

Second, people tell you Lua will do what you want because it will, or it will be very close within reason. Some of the things you are requesting are not reasonable and you will not see anyone implement them. Debugging, stepping, no one is going to link a full C debugger and compiler into an extension.

My best advise to anyone who really wants a debugger or a text editor is to either use an external one that allows it, or make one yourself. Its a fair project to take up

[xyzzy]

XLua uses hooks for backtrace reporting, so maybe you'll have to turn that off first?

doesn't seem to work either