The evolution of Lua, continued

Abstract

Lua is a scripting language created in 1993 in Brazil. We have reported in detail on the birth of Lua and its evolution until 2007. Here, we chronicle the evolution of Lua since then. In particular, we discuss in detail the evolution of global variables, the introduction of integers, and the implementation of garbage collection and finalizers, including deterministic finalization. We also comment on some landmark social developments in the history of Lua.