\doabstract{Lua\TeX: A user's perspective} {Aditya Mahajan} {With Lua\TeX{}, \TeX{} has access to Lua. Since Lua is a normal programming language, implementing algorithms in Lua is much easier than the usual macro jugglery required in traditional \TeX{}. Lua\TeX{} has been used in \ConTeXt\ to simplify many internal macros. But, for most part, the ease of writing a macro package in \TeX{} does not interest a normal user. How does Lua\TeX{} affect a normal user? In this talk, I take some \TeX{} programming examples from day to day usage and show how Lua\TeX{} simplifies them. For instance: writing loops without worrying about expansion; parsing input without exploding your brain; doing calculations without using an abacus. }