If you have used Express.js, Koa, or Sinatra, Wapka’s Lua framework will feel immediately familiar. The syntax is designed to be recognizable — on purpose.

A quick tour

local app = framework()

app:get("/", function(ctx)
    return ctx:html("<h1>Hello from Lua</h1>")
end)

app:get("/api/users", function(ctx)
    local users = api.users.list({ limit = 50 })
    return ctx:json(users)
end)

app:post("/api/contact", function(ctx)
    local name = ctx.body.name
    local email = ctx.body.email
    api.dataset.create("messages", {
        name = name,
        email = email
    })
    return ctx:json({success = true})
end)

Route definitions. Request parameters. Database queries. JSON responses. Standard web development patterns — running inside a sandboxed Lua environment via PHP LuaSandbox.

What the framework provides

  • Routing: app:get, app:post, app:put, app:delete — standard HTTP method routing
  • Parameter parsing: URL params (:id), query strings, request bodies
  • Response formatting: HTML, JSON, plain text, file downloads
  • Database access: Dataset API with collection queries
  • Session management: User authentication state across requests
  • File access: Read and write files in the user’s storage

All of this runs with kilobyte memory footprints and microsecond startup times.

Why the Express-like design

When we designed the framework, we had a choice: invent a new DSL, or model it after something millions of developers already know. We chose the latter.

Familiarity lowers the barrier. A developer who knows Express can pick up Wapka’s Lua framework in minutes. The concepts transfer. The syntax transfers. The mental model transfers.

For the platform’s target audience — students learning backend development, creators adding their first dynamic features — this familiarity is the difference between “I can do this” and “I need to learn an entirely new system.”

Continue reading: Why Lua? The architectural decision → The database builder: visual CRUD without SQL →