Is there a place to specifically learn Roblox lua?

[StrongBigeMan9]

I’m not sure which resources on the Developer Forum you’ve looked over already, but here’s what I recommended in one of my guides:

@StrongBigeMan9

Recommended Resources

1. Programming in Lua books - Provides detailed explanations and “tutorials” about many aspects of the Lua language. The first version of the book (which focuses on Lua version 5.0) can be viewed for free personal use on the same website.

   1a. Lua 5.1’s Official Reference Manual - Official documentation of the Lua coding language.

   • Although Roblox has greatly built upon Lua 5.1, evolving into Luau, the official reference manual contains incredible information about the base language!

   • Using these resources may allow you to have a better fundamental understanding of the language, which may accelerate the learning process when using Roblox Lua.

     • Although the description of the Programming in Lua series states that the books are written for people with some programming experience, keep in mind that “it does not assume any prior knowledge about Lua or other scripting languages.” This could be a fantastic book to cross-reference while learning from more Roblox-focused/Luau-based resources!

2. Creator Documentation - Education Content [NEW as of September, 2022] - Contains dozens of detailed guides with relatable examples.

   • Code Fundamentals Series with 30 individual guides

   • Has reliable and valuable information

   • Projects that allow you to apply various coding concepts in realistic scenarios

   • NOTE: This was originally found on the Roblox Education website but it has since been moved over to the Creator Documentation site.

3. Roblox Creator Documentation - This is the home of the API Reference! (Also contains many detailed tutorials)

• NOTE (October, 2022):

  • The Roblox Developer Hub has now been replaced by the new Creator Documentation site. Learn more about this change on its announcement topic.

• API Reference - This has documentation and explanations for various elements of coding. Example: This page explains what a ProximityPrompt is, in addition to the functionality of each of its properties.

• Short-form articles can be found here too! Let’s say the documentation for the ProximityPrompt wasn’t enough for you to understand how it works. Well, in this case, there’s also an article that provides a starter project and visual explanations to set it up.

4. Roblox Developer Forum - Thousands of user-made threads can be found here!

   • This is a place to share ideas & learn alongside others

   • Tons of useful information can be found here. For example, if you have a question that wasn’t answered from the other resources, you can utilize the search feature to see if your question has any answers before asking for yourself.

   • A variety of incredible resources can be found here, ranging from Elttob’s Vanilla Roblox Studio Icons to EgoMoose’s Gravity Controller, and loleris’ ProfileService DataStore Module, there’s plenty of fantastic creations by the community!

5. Roblox Lua Style Guide GitHub - Recommended coding practices are demonstrated here

   • Prevent bad habits from forming by using this resource! – This is an incredible resource that is not often talked about. I didn’t know about this until the end of 2020 and I wish I knew about it sooner.

   • Following the practices outlined in this resource will make your code more legible, making it easier to modify and debug over time.

6. Lua Learning - A hands-on learning Roblox Game made by @boatbomber!

   • Interactive learning w/user-made guides – Because it’s a more familiar environment, it might be easier to learn from this resource for certain topics

   • Over time, there might be a full collection of lessons in this game that cover the fundamentals

7. Roblox Build It, Play It! Challenges - A collection of interactive, step-by-step tutorials created by Roblox.

8. YouTube - Contains a conglomeration (a looooot) of resources that span a chasm (a variety) of development topics

   • DO NOT rely off of YouTube for ALL of your learning – Although it may be easier to consume content in this format, it’s oftentimes better to make YouTube a supplementary resource/visual aid for learning. This is because practicing with the coding language on your own will allow you to experience and understand how different coding concept work together.

   • Regardless, four channels that I greatly recommend (aside from my own) include AlvinBlox, okeanskiy, B Ricey, and GnomeCode. all of which I admire greatly for their approaches toward development and content creation.

Edit April 6th, 2021: Added B Ricey to the list of recommended channels – I stumbled across their channel shortly after finishing this project so I didn’t get to recommend their content in the video!

Edit December 22nd, 2021: Added GnomeCode to the list of recommended channels. I first watched one of GnomeCode’s videos a month after creating this tutorial/guide but I forgot to include their channel here until December of 2021!

Take note of these resources in a place that you can easily find whenever you want. Over time, add anything that helps you learn onto this list. From here, you’re ready for the next step in the learning process.

 

Note: Because learning how to code requires you to take action on an individual level, remember that it’s your responsibility to utilize the resources at your disposal (resources that you have access to). As a person who creates tutorials, it’s not necessarily my job to make you understand certain concepts. Instead, I’m in a position to facilitate the learning process (make the learning process easier) and pave a pathway for you to discover what works best for you.