ox_lib

ox_lib is a powerful library providing common functionality for FiveM resources. Declare it as a dependency, load the correct initialization file, and keep the installed version compatible across dependent resources. Server callbacks must still validate permissions and client-provided values before returning sensitive data or applying changes.

Installation

Add to fxmanifest.lua:

dependency 'ox_lib'
shared_script '@ox_lib/init.lua' -- defines the `lib` global; without it `lib` is nil

Callbacks

Server Callback

The server handler receives source followed by the client’s arguments and returns the response. There is no cb parameter: ox_lib calls the handler with pcall(cb, source, ...) and sends back its return values (imports/callback/server.lua).

-- Server
lib.callback.register('myresource:getData', function(source, itemId)
    if type(itemId) ~= 'number' then return nil end -- never trust client input
    return getData(source, itemId)
end)
 
-- Client: callback form
lib.callback('myresource:getData', false, function(data)
    print('Received:', data)
end, 42)
 
-- Client: inside a thread or handler, wait for the result instead
local data = lib.callback.await('myresource:getData', false, 42)

Context Menus

lib.registerContext({
    id = 'mycontext',
    title = 'My Menu',
    options = {
        {
            title = 'Option 1',
            onSelect = function()
                print('Option 1 selected')
            end
        }
    }
})
 
lib.showContext('mycontext')

Locales

ox_lib loads JSON files from locales/ in your resource. en.json is the fallback; other languages are merged over it. Enable the module in the manifest and ship the files to clients:

-- fxmanifest.lua
shared_script '@ox_lib/init.lua'
ox_lib 'locale'
files { 'locales/*.json' }

{
  "welcome": "Welcome to the server, %s!",
  "goodbye": "Thanks for playing!"
}

Translate with the global locale() function. Extra arguments are passed to string.format; a missing key returns the key itself.

lib.notify({
    title = 'Server',
    description = locale('welcome', GetPlayerName(PlayerId())),
    type = 'success'
})

lib.locale(key) loads a language; it does not translate a string. The server language comes from the ox:locale convar (default en), while each client uses its own ox_lib locale setting. Source: imports/locale/shared.lua.

Notifications

lib.notify({
    title = 'Success',
    description = 'Action completed!',
    type = 'success'
})

Frameworks built on ox_lib

ox_lib is a hard dependency of three FiveM frameworks, and a common optional one for the other two:

• ox_core — the Overextended framework itself
• Qbox — qbx_core requires it
• ND Core — required alongside oxmysql

Many QBCore  and ESX  community resources also depend on it. Learning ox_lib is the most transferable skill across the FiveM framework landscape — see Choosing a framework.