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vadi2 / Lua 5.1 to 5.4 breaking changes.md
Created March 1, 2025 08:20
Lua 5.1 to 5.4 breaking changes

I'll research the breaking changes introduced in Lua versions 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4 that may cause scripts written in Lua 5.1 to break. This will include changes in language syntax, libraries, and runtime behavior. I'll provide a structured breakdown of these changes so you can better understand their impact on your scripts.

I'll update you once I have the findings.

Lua 5.2 – Breaking Changes (from Lua 5.1)

Syntax and Language Changes

  • New Reserved Keyword (goto): Lua 5.2 introduces a goto statement, making "goto" a reserved word (Lua 5.2 readme). Any Lua 5.1 code using goto as an identifier will fail to compile in 5.2. The fix is to rename such variables or avoid using "goto" as a name. Lua 5.2 also added labels (::label::) for goto, but this is new functionality and doesn’t affect 5.1 compatibility except for the keyword reservation.
  • Identifier Character Restrictions: In Lua 5.1, identifier names