Salvatore Sanfilippo on Lua vs. JavaScript for Redis Scripting
Published:Dec 23, 2025 23:03
•1 min read
•Simon Willison
Analysis
This article quotes Salvatore Sanfilippo, the creator of Redis, discussing his preference for JavaScript over Lua for Redis scripting. He explains that Lua was chosen for practical reasons (size, speed, ANSI-C compatibility) rather than linguistic preference. Sanfilippo expresses a dislike for Lua's syntax, finding it unnecessarily divergent from Algol-like languages, creating friction for new users without offering significant advantages. He contrasts this with languages like Smalltalk or Forth, where the learning curve is justified by novel concepts. The quote provides insight into the historical decision-making process behind Redis and Sanfilippo's personal language preferences.
Key Takeaways
- •Lua was chosen for Redis scripting due to practical implementation constraints, not language preference.
- •Sanfilippo dislikes Lua's syntax for its unnecessary divergence from Algol-like languages.
- •The choice of a scripting language can significantly impact developer experience and adoption.
Reference
“If this [MicroQuickJS] had been available in 2010, Redis scripting would have been JavaScript and not Lua.”