RE: Getting Started with Lua

["Thijs Schreijer" <thijs@...>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: lua-l-bounces@lists.lua.org [mailto:lua-l-bounces@lists.lua.org]
> On Behalf Of Gavin Wraith
> Sent: woensdag 21 december 2011 22:49
> To: lua-l@lists.lua.org
> Subject: Re: Getting Started with Lua
> 
> In message <20111221211200.GA9929@magritte.tecgraf.puc-rio.br> you
> wrote:
> 
> > Does the Lua web site need a page "Getting Started with Lua",
> > perhaps along the lines of http://python.org/about/gettingstarted/ ?
> > ............................
> > I've tried this but I cannot find the right tone or level of detail:
> >      http://www.tecgraf.puc-rio.br/~lhf/tmp/start.htm
> > .........................
> > I welcome suggestions, including "no, we don't need this"... Thanks.
> 
> Please excuse some rather obvious remarks about this. It is necessary
> to distinguish between 1) the levels of programming experience that
> the newcomer to Lua already has, and 2) the platforms that she is
> accustomed to use.
> 
> I would suggest that the complete beginner, with no programming
> experience, is best catered for by platform-specific tutorials.
> 
> For the more experienced I think it would be good for the Lua website
> to have some sample programs illustrating Lua's strengths, possibly
> giving comparisons with other languages. See, for example, Michael
> Newberry's remarks on the LuaList on Tue, 30 Nov 2004:
> "Re: Why Lua is not BASIC - other articles?"
> As always, the difficulty is in finding programming tasks to
> illustrate that are neither too lengthy nor too trivial.

I wouldn't do it along those Lines. Here's my 2cts;

The way I see it Lua has 2 audiences;
  1 - Lua coders
  2 - Lua embedders
Both with a completely different need, so give them both their own heading
on the page. The latter would require quick links to the API and some C
examples. The former needs access to the basic tools and Lua language
help/FAQ/wiki.
The platform specific stuff is beyond any beginner audience anyway (except
for platform specific startup items like the IDE's etc.)

For learning resources; PiL, Lua reference, FAQ, unofficial FAQ, wiki.