Overview

Master LuaJIT and Push Dynamic Scripting to C-Level PerformanceMastering LuaJIT is a deep, authoritative guide to building high-performance Lua applications using LuaJIT's trace-based JIT compiler, advanced optimization techniques, and zero-overhead C integration via the FFI. Designed for experienced developers, systems engineers, and performance-focused programmers, this book reveals how LuaJIT achieves execution speeds that rival optimized C and how you can write JIT-compliant Lua code that consistently stays on the fast path. What You'll Learn How LuaJIT's trace compiler works internally hot loops, guards, side exits, and trace stitching Bytecode internals, virtual registers, stack frames, and execution flow analysis Writing high-performance Lua scripting code that avoids NYI aborts Advanced LuaJIT optimization techniques used in games, networking, and real-time systems Using the Lua FFI for direct C integration with near-zero overhead Zero-copy data structures, manual memory management, and GC pressure reduction Profiling and debugging LuaJIT using jit.dump, jit.v, and system profilers Embedding LuaJIT in C/C++ applications and managing multi-threaded execution Advanced Topics Covered Trace-based JIT vs method-based JIT compilation NaN tagging, GC64 mode, and memory layout optimizations Register allocation and machine code generation FFI callbacks, C structs, bitfields, and ABI alignment Optimizing LuaJIT for game development and real-time engines High-throughput scripting with OpenResty LuaJIT and Nginx Platform-specific tuning for x86-64 and ARM64 systems This book is ideal for: Lua developers seeking maximum performance Game developers using LuaJIT in real-time engines Systems programmers interested in compiler internals Backend engineers using OpenResty LuaJIT at scale Developers embedding LuaJIT into native C or C++ applications It assumes familiarity with Lua and basic C concepts. This is not an introductory Lua book, it is a performance engineering manual for developers who want to understand what the JIT compiler is really doing. LuaJIT is more than a faster Lua interpreter. It is a carefully engineered runtime that combines: A hand-written assembly interpreter A trace-based JIT compiler optimized for hot execution paths A revolutionary Foreign Function Interface (FFI) When used correctly, LuaJIT enables low-latency scripting, deterministic performance, and seamless native integration making it a powerful tool for modern systems programming. Mastering LuaJIT gives you the mental model, tools, and techniques needed to write Lua code that the JIT compiler loves transforming scripts into production-grade, high-performance systems. If you want to understand how LuaJIT really works and how to make it work for you this book is your definitive guide. Author: Lucas Wallace

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