Lua API Design

[Josh]

Please examine these two examples carefully, and tell me which one feels better to you?

Option A

--Get the displays
local displays = GetDisplays()

-- Create a window
local window = CreateWindow("Leadwerks", 0, 0, 1280, 720, displays[1], WINDOW_CENTER + WINDOW_TITLEBAR)

-- Create a world
local world = CreateWorld()

-- Create a framebuffer
local framebuffer = CreateFramebuffer(window)

-- Create a camera
local camera = CreateCamera(world)
SetCameraClearColor(camera, 0.125)
SetEntityPosition(camera, 0, 0, -2)

-- Create a light
local light = CreateBoxLight(world)
SetEntityRotation(light, 45, 35, 0)
SetLightRange(light, -10, 10)
SetEntityColor(light, 2)

-- Create a model
local model = CreateBox(world)
SetEntityColor(model, 0, 0, 1)

-- Main loop
while not WindowClosed(window) and not KeyDown(window, KEY_ESCAPE) do
    TurnEntity(model, 0, 1, 0, true)
    UpdateWorld(world)
    RenderWorld(world, framebuffer)
end

Option B

--Get the displays
local displays = GetDisplays()

-- Create a window
local window = CreateWindow("Leadwerks", 0, 0, 1280, 720, displays[1], WINDOW_CENTER + WINDOW_TITLEBAR)

-- Create a world
local world = CreateWorld()

-- Create a framebuffer
local framebuffer = CreateFramebuffer(window)

-- Create a camera
local camera = CreateCamera(world)
camera:SetClearColor(0.125)
camera:SetPosition(0, 0, -4)

-- Create a light
local light = CreateBoxLight(world)
light:SetRotation(45, 35, 0)
light:SetRange(-10, 10)
light:SetColor(2)

-- Create a model
local model = CreateBox(world)
model:SetColor(0, 0, 1)

-- Main loop
while not window:Closed() and not window:KeyDown(KEY_ESCAPE) do
    model:Turn(0, 1, 0)
    world:Update()
    world:Render(framebuffer)
end

 

[Yue]

23 minutes ago, Josh said:

Please examine these two examples carefully, and tell me which one feels better to you?

Procedural

--Get the displays
local displays = GetDisplays()

-- Create a window
local window = CreateWindow("Leadwerks", 0, 0, 1280, 720, displays[1], WINDOW_CENTER + WINDOW_TITLEBAR)

-- Create a world
local world = CreateWorld()

-- Create a framebuffer
local framebuffer = CreateFramebuffer(window)

-- Create a camera
local camera = CreateCamera(world)
SetCameraClearColor(camera, 0.125)
SetEntityPosition(camera, 0, 0, -2)

-- Create a light
local light = CreateBoxLight(world)
SetEntityRotation(light, 45, 35, 0)
SetLightRange(light, -10, 10)
SetEntityColor(light, 2)

-- Create a model
local model = CreateBox(world)
SetEntityColor(model, 0, 0, 1)

-- Main loop
while not WindowClosed(window) and not KeyDown(window, KEY_ESCAPE) do
    TurnEntity(model, 0, 1, 0, true)
    UpdateWorld(world)
    RenderWorld(world, framebuffer)
end

Object-oriented

--Get the displays
local displays = GetDisplays()

-- Create a window
local window = CreateWindow("Leadwerks", 0, 0, 1280, 720, displays[1], WINDOW_CENTER + WINDOW_TITLEBAR)

-- Create a world
local world = CreateWorld()

-- Create a framebuffer
local framebuffer = CreateFramebuffer(window)

-- Create a camera
local camera = CreateCamera(world)
camera:SetClearColor(0.125)
camera:SetPosition(0, 0, -4)

-- Create a light
local light = CreateBoxLight(world)
light:SetRotation(45, 35, 0)
light:SetRange(-10, 10)
light:SetColor(2)

-- Create a model
local model = CreateBox(world)
model:SetColor(0, 0, 1)

-- Main loop
while not window:Closed() and not window:KeyDown(KEY_ESCAPE) do
    model:Turn(0, 1, 0)
    world:Update()
    world:Render(framebuffer)
end

 

Personally, I enjoy programming a lot more when using an object-oriented approach. It just feels more natural for me to think in terms of entities that have both behavior and state, especially when I'm working on larger projects or systems with many interacting parts—like a video game.

OOP helps me keep my code organized, scalable, and easier to maintain. I like being able to encapsulate logic, reuse functionality through inheritance, and structure things around how they relate and behave.

I do appreciate the procedural style and its simplicity for smaller or more direct tasks. But when I have the choice, OOP is definitely where I feel most comfortable and creative.

[Explorer]

As someone who uses Roblox a lot, option B feels more familiar, I like it.

[Mapledev]

i agree with explorer as a roblox dev too i'd prefer B

[Josh]

Replies will be hidden, for now.I don't want to influence people's answers.

[Explorer]

But what if their opinion is WRONG

[Josh]

I asked my niece which one she liked better, and she chose the object / method style.

I've made good progress with Lua Language Server, so I think the matter is settled, in favor of the object/method API design.

Thanks everyone for your feedback.