A Comparison of Python, JavaScript and Lua Scripting Language Features
Afiya Nusrat, Alexander Pokluda, Michael Wexler · 2014
In this report, we study three different scripting languages–Python, JavaScript and Lua– and compare the similarities and differences of the features that they offer. Our comparison is based on the implementation of a simple word game called Letter Lizard. We have implemented Letter Lizard in each of the three languages using similar data structures and algorithms as much as possible while taking advantage of each language’s idiomatic features where appropriate. We start with an overview of the design and implementation of the game in each language and then compare the features of each language using example code from each of our Letter Lizard implementations. We finish by noting which language features made certain aspects of the game easier to implement and by summarizing the language features that we found most useful. By comparing these three scripting languages through the implementation of a non-trivial program, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, scripting languages in general and the tasks for which they are best suited. CS 798 Scripting Languages Project Final Report