FiveM School

Beginner-to-shipping FiveM coding course. Built by a working FiveM dev. No fluff, no padding, every Lua line explained.

📖 Read it as a website → sammethot.github.io/learn-fivem

Searchable, themed, with a navigation tree and copy-paste code buttons. Same content, nicer to read.

If you’ve ever opened a FiveM resource on GitHub and felt lost - this fixes that.

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Who This Is For

You’ll get the most out of this if you:

• Have done a little code before (any language: JS, Python, C#, doesn’t matter). You know what a variable, a function, and a loop are.
• Want to write server-side scripts, UI menus, jobs, or full game systems for a FiveM server.
• Don’t know Lua. You learn it here.
• Don’t know FiveM internals. Same.

Total beginners (never coded at all) - start with freeCodeCamp’s JavaScript course first. Come back when you’re comfortable with if, for, and functions.

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What You’ll Be Able To Build

By the end:

• Custom commands and chat events
• Job systems with permissions
• Shops with money + inventory + database logging
• HTML/React UIs that talk to the game
• Resources that don’t tank your server’s framerate
• Code that doesn’t get exploited the day you ship it

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Prerequisites

VS Code extensions worth installing day one:

• sumneko.lua - Lua language server (autocomplete, errors)
• overextended.cfxlua-vscode - FiveM native autocomplete

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How To Read This Course

Read in order. Each folder builds on the last. Skipping = confusion later.

01-basics       → what FiveM is, Lua, client/server, resources
02-events       → how scripts talk to each other
03-natives      → the GTA V API
04-database     → MySQL with oxmysql
05-frameworks   → Qbox / QBCore / ESX basics
06-ox-libraries → ox_lib, ox_target, ox_inventory
07-nui          → UI (HTML/CSS/JS, then React)
08-security     → don't get exploited
09-performance  → don't freeze the server
10-first-projects → build 3 real things end-to-end

Each lesson ends with Next: <file> so you always know where to go.

If you feel lost, jump to INDEX.md for the full map and shortcut paths.

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How Each Lesson Is Structured

Every lesson follows the same shape so you know what to expect:

1. Plain-English summary at the top - what is this, why do you care
2. Code examples with every line annotated - no “magic” lines
3. Common mistakes - the bugs that bite beginners
4. Optimization & security callouts where they matter
5. TL;DR - the takeaway in 5 bullets
6. Sources - links to the official docs so you can dig deeper

Code blocks look like this:

-- declare a local variable. "local" = scoped to this file/block, NOT shared globally
local playerName = 'Sam'

-- print it to the server console (F8 in-game, or your terminal)
print(playerName)

Every non-trivial line gets a comment. You shouldn’t have to guess what any line does.

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Core Rules (Memorize These)

These come back in every lesson. Burn them in now:

1. Client = hostile. Server = trusted. Always validate on the server. Never trust what the client sends.
2. No secrets in client code. Players can read your client .lua files. Webhooks, API keys, prices - server only.
3. local src = source is the first line of every server net event. Why.
4. Always parameterize SQL. ? placeholders, never string concatenation. Why.
5. Read a similar resource before writing a new one. Patterns in the wild beat patterns from your head.
6. Small commits. One feature at a time. Easier to revert when something breaks.

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Assumed Stack

Most examples target the modern FiveM roleplay stack. If your server differs, adapt - the core concepts stay identical.

If you’re not sure what stack your server uses, check server.cfg for the ensure lines.

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How To Test Your Code

Every lesson assumes you have a dev server running. The fastest way to set one up:

1. Install txAdmin (it’s the recommended FiveM server manager)
2. Use the “QBox + ox_lib + ox_inventory” recipe (built-in)
3. Start your server, connect from FiveM, and you’re in

Workflow:

# edit your code
# save the file
# in-game F8 console:
restart my_resource
# test the change in-game

There’s no hot reload for Lua. Restart on every change.

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Glossary (Lookup As You Read)

You’ll see these words constantly:

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Contributing

This repo is MIT licensed (LICENSE) and PR-friendly. If you spot a mistake, an outdated API, or know a better way - open a PR.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for the rules. Short version: keep the tone direct, keep examples runnable, no padding.

Bugs / questions / feature requests: open an issue.

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Start Here

01-basics/01-what-is-fivem.md

Don’t skip. The earliest lessons are the ones every later lesson assumes.

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License

MIT - do whatever you want, just don’t sue me. See LICENSE.