py-lua-parser

A Lua parser and AST builder written in Python, usable both as a library and as a command line tool. It reads Lua 5.1 to 5.5 source and gives back a tree of typed nodes that you can walk, rewrite and render back to Lua.

from luaparser import ast

tree = ast.parse("local x = 1 + 2")
print(ast.to_lua_source(tree))

Installation

$ python3 -m pip install luaparser

This installs the library and the luaparser shell command. Python 3.10 or later is required.

Supported Lua versions

Lua source version	Recommended `luaparser`	Grammar support
Lua 5.1 – 5.3	`luaparser>=3.2.1`	Supported
Lua 5.4	`luaparser>=3.3.0`	Supported
Lua 5.5	Unreleased (after 4.2.0)	Supported

Grammar support is backward compatible, so a recent release parses source written for an older Lua version. Note that luaparser does not enforce every compile-time restriction of a given Lua version, so a successful parse is not a substitute for checking the source with that version’s luac.

Where to go next

Parsing – turning source into a tree, and what a node carries.
Walking and transforming – walking a tree, and rewriting it in place.
Rendering – going back to Lua source, or to a debug representation.
Command line – the luaparser command.
AST nodes – reference for every node type.
API reference – reference for the ast and printers modules.

Indices and tables