Lua templating/Glossary

This contains a listing of common Lua terms.

Lua-specific terms

Table: An associative array or hash table that stores information.
Sequence: A table with numerical indexes. Behaves like an array.
Metatable: A table that "defines the behavior of the original value under certain special operations." ^[1]

Transclusion: A process where some or all of the content on one page, usually a template, is included in another. ^[2]
Module: A page that contains Lua code, which can be used on articles, templates, and other modules. Gives the raw code when transcluded.
Invocation: Allows the code stored in a module to be executed on an article or template.
Parameters: Data given to a page during transclusion, and a module during invocation. ^[3]
Wrapper template: An intermediate template that invokes a module when transcluded (page → template → module).
Execution limit: The amount of time that modules are allowed to run. Set to 7 seconds on Fandom.
Memory limit: The amount of system (virtual) memory that modules are allowed to use. The cap is currently 50MB per article.
Scribunto: An extension that adds the ability to use Lua code using MediaWiki.
Scribunto library: Additional code added to Lua by the MediaWiki developers.
Debug console: A text area in the module namespace where one can try out Lua code.
Preprocessing: Parsing wikitext before rendering or processing it. Generally done with frame:preprocess.
Strip marker: A unique string temporarily added by an extension to indicate that it hasn't completed processing. This is generally removed by the extension before the page is rendered.

Data module: A module that contains structured data in the form of a table. Similar to JSON.
Meta-module: A module that is meant to be used by other modules.
Global module: A module on this wiki (Fandom Developers Wiki) that can be loaded on any other.

Frame: See Lua reference manual/Scribunto libraries.
Parent frame: A table containing data about the page or template that transcludes a page or template that in turns invokes a module.
Child frame: A table containing data about a page or template that directly invokes a module.

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