--- name: Roblox globals last_updated: 2026-06-17T18:30:59Z type: global summary: "Built-in functions and constants unique to Roblox." --- # Roblox globals Built-in functions and constants unique to Roblox. **Type:** global ## Description Roblox provides several unique built-in functions and variables in its embedding of Luau. These are only found on Roblox and are not packaged by default with Luau or Lua. ## Properties ### Enum **Type:** `Enums` A reference to the Enums data type, which stores all of the available enums that can be used on Roblox. ### game **Type:** `DataModel` A reference to the [DataModel](/docs/reference/engine/classes/DataModel.md), which is the root Instance of Roblox's parent/child hierarchy. ### plugin **Type:** `Plugin` A reference to the [Plugin](/docs/reference/engine/classes/Plugin.md) object that represents the plugin being run from this [Script](/docs/reference/engine/classes/Script.md). This reference exists only in the context where a script is executed as a plugin and is not passed to [ModuleScripts](/docs/reference/engine/classes/ModuleScript.md) within the plugin. To use this reference in a [ModuleScript](/docs/reference/engine/classes/ModuleScript.md), you must explicitly pass it. ```lua assert(plugin, "This script must be run as a plugin!") -- Code beyond this point will execute only if the script is run as a plugin ``` ### shared **Type:** `Array` A table that is shared across all scripts that share the same execution context level. This serves the exact same purpose as `_G`. ### script **Type:** `LuaSourceContainer` A reference to the script object that is executing the code you are writing. It can be either a [Script](/docs/reference/engine/classes/Script.md), a [LocalScript](/docs/reference/engine/classes/LocalScript.md), or a [ModuleScript](/docs/reference/engine/classes/ModuleScript.md). This variable is not available when executing code from Roblox Studio's command bar. ### workspace **Type:** `Workspace` A reference to the [Workspace](/docs/reference/engine/classes/Workspace.md) service, which contains all of the physical components of a Roblox world. ## Functions ### PluginManager **Signature:** `PluginManager(): PluginManager` Returns the [PluginManager](/docs/reference/engine/classes/PluginManager.md) which is a deprecated singleton that was previously required to create plugins. It still has some applicable uses, such as if you need to create a [Plugin](/docs/reference/engine/classes/Plugin.md) object from Studio's [Command Bar](/docs/en-us/studio/ui-overview.md#command-bar). **Returns:** `PluginManager` ### settings **Signature:** `settings(): GlobalSettings` Returns the [GlobalSettings](/docs/reference/engine/classes/GlobalSettings.md) object, which can be used to access the settings objects that are used in Roblox Studio's settings menu. **Returns:** `GlobalSettings` ### tick **Signature:** `tick(): number` Returns how much time has elapsed, in seconds, since the Unix epoch, on the current local session's computer. The Unix epoch is represented by 00:00:00 on 1 January 1970. `tick()` isn't officially deprecated, but has a variety of issues. It can be off by up to one second and returns inconsistent results across time zones and operating systems. Use [os.time()](/docs/reference/engine/globals/os.md), [os.clock()](/docs/reference/engine/globals/os.md), or [RobloxGlobals.time()](/docs/reference/engine/globals/RobloxGlobals.md) instead. Also consider [DateTime.UnixTimestamp](/docs/reference/engine/datatypes/DateTime.md) and [DateTime.UnixTimestampMillis](/docs/reference/engine/datatypes/DateTime.md). **Returns:** `number` ### time **Signature:** `time(): number` Returns the amount of time, in seconds, that has elapsed since the current game instance started running. If the current game instance is not running, this will be `0`. If [Workspace.AuthorityMode](/docs/reference/engine/classes/Workspace.md) is [AuthorityMode.Server](/docs/reference/engine/enums/AuthorityMode.md), this value is synchronized between client and server. **Returns:** `number` ### typeof **Signature:** `typeof(object: Variant): string` Returns the type of the object specified, as a string. This function is more accurate than Luau's native `type` function, as it does not denote Roblox-specific types as `userdata`. **Parameters:** | Name | Type | Default | Description | |------|------|---------|-------------| | `object` | `Variant` | | The Luau type that will have its type checked. | **Returns:** `string` ### UserSettings **Signature:** `UserSettings(): UserSettings` Returns the [UserSettings](/docs/reference/engine/classes/UserSettings.md) object, which is used to read information from the current user's game menu settings. **Returns:** `UserSettings` ### warn **Signature:** `warn(params: Tuple): ()` Behaves identically to Luau's print function, except the output is styled as a warning, with yellow text and a timestamp. This function accepts any number of arguments, and will attempt to convert them into strings which will then be joined together with spaces between them. **Parameters:** | Name | Type | Default | Description | |------|------|---------|-------------| | `params` | `Tuple` | | This function accepts any number of arguments, and will attempt to convert them into strings which will then be joined together with spaces between them. | **Returns:** `()` ### delay *(deprecated)* **Signature:** `delay(delayTime: number, callback: function): ()` > **Deprecated:** This method has been superseded by [task.delay()](/docs/reference/engine/globals/task.md) and should not be used for future work. Schedules a function to be executed after `delayTime` seconds have passed, without yielding the current thread. This function allows multiple Luau threads to be executed in parallel from the same stack. The delay will have a minimum duration of 29 milliseconds, but this minimum may be higher depending on the target framerate and various throttling conditions. If the `delayTime` parameter is not specified, the minimum duration will be used. **Parameters:** | Name | Type | Default | Description | |------|------|---------|-------------| | `delayTime` | `number` | | The amount of time that this function will be queued before being executed. | | `callback` | `function` | | The function that will be executed once `delayTime` seconds have passed. | **Returns:** `()` ### DebuggerManager *(deprecated)* **Signature:** `DebuggerManager(): DebuggerManager` > **Deprecated:** The `DebuggerManager` is obsolete and serves little to no use case for developers. Returns the legacy `DebuggerManager` class which acts as an interface for Roblox's Luau debugger feature. This function is not recognized by Luau's analysis tool and will raise an undefined global warning. **Returns:** `DebuggerManager` ### elapsedTime *(deprecated)* **Signature:** `elapsedTime(): number` Returns how much time has elapsed since the current instance of Roblox was started. In Roblox Studio, this begins counting up from the moment Roblox Studio starts running, not just when opening a place. **Returns:** `number` ### printidentity *(deprecated)* **Signature:** `printidentity(prefix?: string): ()` Prints `Current identity is [ID]` to the output, where [ID] corresponds to the current thread's security context level. **Parameters:** | Name | Type | Default | Description | |------|------|---------|-------------| | `prefix` | `string` | `Current identity is` | | **Returns:** `()` ### spawn *(deprecated)* **Signature:** `spawn(callback: function): ()` > **Deprecated:** This method has been superseded by [task.spawn()](/docs/reference/engine/globals/task.md) and should not be used for future work. Runs the specified callback function in a separate thread, without yielding the current thread. The function will be executed the next time Roblox's Task Scheduler runs an update cycle. This delay will take at least 29 milliseconds but can arbitrarily take longer, depending on the target framerate and various throttling conditions. The callback function is invoked with two arguments: 1. The first being the amount of time which elapsed from when spawn was called to when the function was invoked. 2. The second being equivalent to elapsedTime() or roughly how long the engine has been running. ```lua spawn(print) -- 0.0079617658390703 451.55683163643 ``` **Parameters:** | Name | Type | Default | Description | |------|------|---------|-------------| | `callback` | `function` | | The function that will be executed. | **Returns:** `()` ### stats *(deprecated)* **Signature:** `stats(): Stats` Returns the [Stats](/docs/reference/engine/classes/Stats.md) service. It is preferred that developers use [ServiceProvider:GetService()](/docs/reference/engine/classes/ServiceProvider.md) to retrieve it instead. **Returns:** `Stats` ### version *(deprecated)* **Signature:** `version(): string` Returns the current version of Roblox as a string. The integers in the version string are separated by periods, and each integers represent the following, in order: - Generation - The current generation of the application shell that is hosting the client. - Version - The current release version of Roblox. - Patch - The current patch number for this version of Roblox. - Commit - The ID of the last internal commit that was accepted into this version of the client. **Returns:** `string` ### wait *(deprecated)* **Signature:** `wait(seconds?: number): number, number` > **Deprecated:** This method has been superseded by [task.wait()](/docs/reference/engine/globals/task.md) and should not be used for future work. Yields the current thread until the specified amount of seconds have elapsed. The delay will have a minimum duration of 29 milliseconds, but this minimum may be higher depending on the target framerate and various throttling conditions. If the `seconds` parameter is not specified, the minimum duration will be used. This function returns: - Actual time yielded (in seconds). - Total time since the software was initialized (in seconds). **Parameters:** | Name | Type | Default | Description | |------|------|---------|-------------| | `seconds` | `number` | `0.03` | Specifies how long the thread should yield for. | **Returns:** `number`, `number` ### ypcall *(deprecated)* **Signature:** `ypcall(f: function, args: Tuple): bool, Variant` Legacy function to work around an old task scheduling limitation of [LuaGlobals.pcall()](/docs/reference/engine/globals/LuaGlobals.md); should not be used for new work (use [LuaGlobals.pcall()](/docs/reference/engine/globals/LuaGlobals.md) instead). **Parameters:** | Name | Type | Default | Description | |------|------|---------|-------------| | `f` | `function` | | The function to be called in protected mode. | | `args` | `Tuple` | | | **Returns:** `bool`, `Variant`