All You need To Know About Lua functions

Exercism Forum
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Functions are a way to group together code that can be executed repeatedly. They are a powerful tool that can help you to write more concise and reusable code.

To define a function in Lua, you use the function keyword. The syntax for defining a function is:

function function_name(parameters) -- code block end

The function_name is the name of the function. The parameters are the arguments that the function takes. The code block is the code that the function executes.

To call a function, you use the function name followed by the arguments. The syntax for calling a function is:

function_name(arguments)

Here is an example of a function that defines a function that adds two numbers:

function add_numbers(a, b) return a + b end

This function takes two numbers as arguments and returns their sum.

To call this function, you would use the following code:

sum = add_numbers(1, 2)

This code would assign the value 3 to the variable sum.

Functions can be nested, which means that one function can call another function. This can be used to create complex programs that are easier to read and maintain.

  • Local functions: Local functions are functions that are defined within another function. They can only be called from within the function that defines them.
  • Global functions: Global functions are functions that are defined outside of any function. They can be called from anywhere in the program.
  • Anonymous functions: Anonymous functions are functions that are not given a name. They are often used as callbacks or event handlers.
  • Recursive functions: Recursive functions are functions that call themselves. They can be used to solve problems that involve self-similar structures.

Here are some additional tips for using Lua functions:

  • Use functions to group together related code. This will make your code easier to read and maintain.
  • Use functions to avoid repeating code. This will make your code more concise and efficient.
  • Use functions to encapsulate functionality. This will make your code more modular and reusable.
  • Use functions to abstract away complexity. This will make your code easier to understand and use.

Check the references of Lua functions so that you could learn more about that :

https://www.lua.org/pil/5.html

I hope this helps!