Published September 24, 2023 in Roblox Development Tips

Seal is a jaded programmer who has been scripting long past retirement age.

What Coding Language Does Roblox Use?

Have you ever wondered what coding language Roblox uses? Well, there are two answers. Roblox can be broken into two categories, the game engine, and the games. 

The game engine is programmed in C++, the games on Roblox however, are made in Luau. If you want to be a game developer on Roblox you will need to learn Luau coding. It's an essential skill that can take you on many different career paths. Let's take a look at Luau in a little more detail.

What is Luau?

Luau is the coding language Roblox uses. Luau is a programming language that was created by Roblox to be used in Roblox games. It was originally Lua 5.1, Roblox however modified it into the Luau we have today. 

Here are some interesting facts about Luau: 

1. Luau is a scripting language. Luau is a scripting language rather than a programming language. What does this mean? That means instead of Roblox Studio having to compile all of the code before the game starts, there is an interpreter that reads and executes your code in real time!
2. There are very few differences between Luau and Lua. Lua 5.1 and Luau are virtually the same language. You could take any course on learning Lua 5.1 scripting and be able to code in Luau. The main reason we even say Luau is it does help us differentiate that we are talking about the Roblox platform. There are other video games and applications that use Lua. Luau, however, is exclusive to Roblox.
   
3. Syntax. Luau is backward compatible with Lua 5.1, you can even use Lua 5.1 libraries with Luau!
   
4. Scope and operators. In Luau, variables and functions can have a global and local scope within a script. This makes creating and managing variables an interesting logical challenge.

How Hard is it to Learn Luau?

How hard is it to learn Luau? Luau is a very easy scripting language to learn. It's slightly easier than Python and JavaScript. Luau is a great language for kids to learn as their first scripting language. Being that it's also tied to Roblox makes learning the language fun and interesting. Anything you learn will be done with the perspective of making video games. That adds an extra level of fun to scripting. 

Luau also allows kids to manipulate objects with their code. Usually, scripting video games in other programs would require them to learn 3D modeling or pixel art. Roblox however, has a super simple drag-and-drop modeling system. 

Kids are able to experiment with creating cool models, and then use Luau to make them interactable!

Ways to Learn Luau

What are some ways to learn Luau? Here are a couple:

1. Roblox coding course. Taking a coding course is one of the best ways to learn Roblox scripting. It allows you to have a more visual approach. Coding courses also allow kids to follow along at their own pace. If it's a video course they can pause and re-watch any part to ensure they are getting the hang of it. If you want to learn more about getting a Luau scripting course, click here.
2. Roblox coding book. This is how developers learned how to program long before the internet. Although it's an old method, it still works. Not only do coding books teach Roblox scripting, but they also help kids to brush up on their reading skills. Two birds with one stone! If you want to learn more about Roblox coding books, here is an article that covers the 5 Best Roblox Coding Books.
3. YouTube videos. YouTube is a fantastic learning tool, and like with any other skill, someone on YouTube has a tutorial for it. Although it may be more of a challenge to find good Luau learning content on YouTube, it's also free. Pretty hard to beat free learning. Here are a few YouTube channels that specialize in teaching Roblox Luau: The Dev King, Alvin Blox, DefinitelyNotSeal, and SmartyRBX.
4. Roblox developer hub. There are tons of tutorials on the Roblox developer hub. Any tutorial on the dev hub is created and published by Roblox. They have simple step-by-step follow-along lessons. They provide code samples and challenges to learn. All in all, a great resource for learning Luau scripting.

Conclusion

If you are overwhelmed with all of the options, here is an article that is the superset for learning to make a Roblox game: The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Roblox Game.

Learning Luau can be a fun and valuable experience, learning a coding language teaches life skills that are necessary to succeed, things like problem-solving, ingenuity, logical thinking, math skills, and creativity. 

Whether you want your child to learn to code, or you want to learn to make games yourself, Luau is a great language to start with.

Thanks for reading and happy coding!