Learn MOONSCRIPT with Real Code Examples

MoonScript lets developers write Lua programs with less boilerplate and a more expressive syntax.

It preserves Lua’s performance and interoperability while adding modern features for readability and maintainability.

Widely used in game development, scripting, and projects where Lua is popular (e.g., Love2D, Roblox).

Compile-time conversion to Lua

Modern syntax with indentation-based blocks

Anonymous functions and closures

Table literals and comprehensions

Pattern matching for tables

Variables and tables

Functions and anonymous functions

Classes and inheritance

List comprehensions

Destructuring assignments

src/ - MoonScript source files

build/ - compiled Lua output

tests/ - unit tests

libs/ - external Lua dependencies

docs/ - project documentation

Write `.moon` source files

Compile using `moonc`

Run generated Lua code with Lua interpreter

Debug using Lua runtime or print statements

Integrate with Lua modules or external libraries

Beginner: basic scripts with variables and functions

Intermediate: table comprehensions and loops

Advanced: class hierarchies and inheritance

Expert: large-scale projects with Lua interop

Enterprise: embedding in complex Lua-based applications

Higher-level than Lua syntax

More readable than Lua for complex scripts

Compiles to Lua like TypeScript to JavaScript

Less mature tooling than Lua

Better for scripting and rapid prototyping

2012 – Initial release

2013 – Community growth and tooling

2015 – Stable compiler with standard library

2018 – Integration with game engines popularized

2025 – Actively maintained with Lua 5.4 support

Table: Lua’s main data structure

Class: MoonScript object abstraction

Comprehension: concise loop-based expression

Destructuring: assign multiple values at once

Function: callable block of code