Lua Academy · Lesson

Single Inheritance with __index Chaining

Set a parent class as a metatable's __index to inherit methods.

Single Inheritance with __index Chaining is a free Lua Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 1 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Lua Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Prototype Chain

Single inheritance works by setting a child class's __index to the parent class. When a method is not found in the child, Lua looks in the parent. This creates a prototype chain.

local Base={}
Base.__index=Base
function Base.new() return setmetatable({},Base) end
function Base:greet() print("Hello from Base") end

local Child={}
Child.__index=Child
setmetatable(Child,{__index=Base})  -- Child inherits Base

function Child.new() return setmetatable({},Child) end

local c=Child.new()
c:greet()  -- Hello from Base (inherited)

Method Resolution Order

When calling a method on an instance: (1) look in instance table, (2) look in Child (via __index), (3) look in Base (via Child's metatable __index). The first match wins.

local Base={}
Base.__index=Base
function Base:who() print("I am Base") end

local Child={}
Child.__index=Child
setmetatable(Child,{__index=Base})
function Child:who() print("I am Child") end  -- override

local b=setmetatable({},Base)
local c=setmetatable({},Child)
b:who()  -- I am Base
c:who()  -- I am Child (overrides)

Inheriting Constructors

Child classes can reuse parent constructors by calling them, or define their own that extend the parent's initialization.

local Animal={}
Animal.__index=Animal
function Animal.new(name,sound)
  return setmetatable({name=name,sound=sound},Animal)
end
function Animal:speak() print(self.name..": "..self.sound) end

local Dog={}
Dog.__index=Dog
setmetatable(Dog,{__index=Animal})

function Dog.new(name)
  local self = Animal.new(name,"Woof")
  return setmetatable(self,Dog)
end
function Dog:fetch(item) print(self.name.." fetches "..item) end

local d=Dog.new("Rex")
d:speak(); d:fetch("ball")

Checking Ancestry

Walk up the metatable chain to check if an object's class inherits from a given base. This is how instanceof works in Lua.

local function instanceof(obj, cls)
  local mt = getmetatable(obj)
  while mt do
    if mt == cls then return true end
    mt = getmetatable(mt)
  end
  return false
end

Super Call

Call the parent version of an overridden method by accessing it directly through the parent class table.

local Base={}
Base.__index=Base
function Base:init(x) self.x=x end
function Base:value() return self.x end

local Child={}
Child.__index=Child
setmetatable(Child,{__index=Base})
function Child:init(x,y)
  Base.init(self,x)  -- call parent
  self.y=y
end
function Child:value() return Base.value(self)+self.y end

local c=setmetatable({},Child)
c:init(3,4)
print(c:value())  -- 7

Deep Chain

Build a three-level hierarchy: A → B → C. Method lookup traverses the full chain until found.

local A={}
A.__index=A
function A:aMethod() print("A method") end

local B={}
B.__index=B
setmetatable(B,{__index=A})
function B:bMethod() print("B method") end

local C={}
C.__index=C
setmetatable(C,{__index=B})

local c=setmetatable({},C)
c:bMethod()  -- from B
c:aMethod()  -- from A

Overriding Fields

An instance can override class-level fields by setting them directly. The class field is not changed — just shadowed for that instance.

local Creature={}
Creature.__index=Creature
Creature.hp=100
Creature.speed=10

function Creature.new()
  return setmetatable({},Creature)
end

local fast=Creature.new()
fast.speed=20  -- override for this instance

local normal=Creature.new()

print(fast.speed,normal.speed,Creature.speed)  -- 20  10  10

Class-Level Inheritance

Setting setmetatable(Child, {__index=Parent}) makes class-level lookups fall through to the parent. This means Child.classMethod() finds methods on the parent class if not overridden.

local Vehicle={}
Vehicle.__index=Vehicle
Vehicle.maxSpeed=120
function Vehicle.describe() print("Vehicle") end

local Car={}
Car.__index=Car
setmetatable(Car,{__index=Vehicle})

Car.describe()  -- Vehicle (inherited class method)
print(Car.maxSpeed)  -- 120 (inherited class field)

Initialization Chain

For proper initialization, child constructors call parent constructors to ensure parent state is set up. Chain initialization up the hierarchy.

local Base={}
Base.__index=Base
function Base:_init(name) self.name=name end

local Mid={}
Mid.__index=Mid
setmetatable(Mid,{__index=Base})
function Mid:_init(name,level)
  Base._init(self,name)
  self.level=level
end

local Top={}
Top.__index=Top
setmetatable(Top,{__index=Mid})
function Top.new(name,level,role)
  local self=setmetatable({},Top)
  Mid._init(self,name,level)
  self.role=role
  return self
end

local t=Top.new("Alice",5,"admin")
print(t.name,t.level,t.role)

Abstract Base Classes

Make a base class with unimplemented methods that error. Subclasses must override these methods. This enforces interface contracts in Lua's dynamic type system.

local Serializer={}
Serializer.__index=Serializer
function Serializer:encode(data)
  error(self._type.." must implement encode()",2)
end
function Serializer:decode(str)
  error(self._type.." must implement decode()",2)
end

local JSONSerializer={_type="JSON"}
setmetatable(JSONSerializer,{__index=Serializer})
function JSONSerializer:encode(data)
  return "{"..tostring(data.key).."}"
end

local j=setmetatable({_type="JSON"},JSONSerializer)
print(j:encode({key="val"}))

Inheritance Question

What enables single inheritance in Lua?

Recap: Single Inheritance

Set setmetatable(Child, {__index = Parent}) to inherit methods. The __index chain provides automatic delegation. Override by defining methods in Child; call parent explicitly with Parent.method(self).

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Single Inheritance with __index Chaining” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Single Inheritance with __index Chaining” is free to read here on the web, and the Lua Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Lua Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Single Inheritance with __index Chaining”?

Set a parent class as a metatable's __index to inherit methods. You practise Lua Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start Lua Academy?

No prior experience is required. Lua Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 1 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Single Inheritance with __index Chaining” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this Lua Academy lesson?

Yes. Every Lua Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

All lessons in this course

Single Inheritance with __index Chaining
Calling Parent Methods with super
Mixin Patterns
Overriding and Polymorphism

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