Module 01 · Lesson 01

Your first line of Lua

Every coder starts the same way: one line, one message, one visible result. In this lesson that result is a line you control, printed in your FiveM server console on demand. By the end you will understand a string, the print function, and how RegisterCommand turns a typed word into running code.

You'll build: A tiny resource that prints a message to the server console when you run a command.
Time: ~12 minutes
You need: A local FiveM practice setup you can restart, and a text editor (VS Code is free). If you do not have that yet, do the 7-day browser starter first, then come back here.
You'll learn: Lua strings, the print function, what a command handler is, and how to read the console as your feedback loop

BEFORE YOU START

Build it

Make the resource folder

The server has one folder for this lesson.

Inside your server's resources folder, create this folder:

text

resources/qu_first_line_of_lua

Create the files

Every file named in the manifest exists.

Symptom	Fix
`attempt to call a nil value (global 'RegisterCommand')`	The native name is misspelled. It is RegisterCommand with a capital R and a capital C. Lua is case sensitive, so registercommand will not resolve.
`')' expected near 'end'`	A quote, comma, or paren is missing on the RegisterCommand line. Count the parentheses and make sure both the print string and the command name are wrapped in matching quotes.
`'end' expected (near <eof>)`	The function has no closing end, or the final end and the closing paren of RegisterCommand got deleted. The block must finish with end, then the closing paren and the true flag.
`The command does nothing when a player runs it in chat`	The restricted flag is true, so only the server console (and aces) may run it. Run first_line_of_lua from the txAdmin Live Console, not the in-game chat box (press T).

Your first line of Lua

Build it

Make the resource folder

Create the files

Write fxmanifest.lua

Write the lesson code

Start and test it

How it works

The string you printed

The print function

The command that runs it

When you reach for this pattern

If something went wrong

What you can do now

Run it live

Try it yourself