Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/pw4k/ironbrew-2/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
The Deserializer class reads and parses compiled Lua 5.1 bytecode files (.luac), converting the binary format into an intermediate representation (IR) of Chunks, Instructions, and Constants.
Namespace
IronBrew2.Bytecode_Library.Bytecode
Constructor
public Deserializer(byte[] input)
The raw bytecode data to deserialize
Properties
InstructionMappings
Dictionary<Opcode, InstructionType>
Static dictionary mapping each Opcode to its InstructionType (ABC, ABx, or AsBx)
Primary Methods
DecodeFile
public Chunk DecodeFile()
The root chunk representing the compiled Lua script
- Throws
Exception if the file header is invalid (not a Lua bytecode file)
- Throws
Exception if the Lua version is not 5.1
This is the main entry point for deserializing bytecode. It validates the file format, reads encoding parameters (endianness, sizes), and decodes the main chunk recursively.
Chunk Decoding Methods
DecodeChunk
public Chunk DecodeChunk()
The decoded chunk with all references set up
DecodeChunks
public List<Chunk> DecodeChunks()
Instruction Decoding Methods
DecodeInstruction
public Instruction DecodeInstruction(Chunk chunk, int index)
The parent chunk containing this instruction
The instruction index within the chunk
The decoded instruction with opcode and operands
DecodeInstructions
public List<Instruction> DecodeInstructions(Chunk chunk)
List of all decoded instructions
Constant Decoding Methods
DecodeConstant
public Constant DecodeConstant()
The decoded constant (nil, boolean, number, or string)
- 0: Nil
- 1: Boolean (followed by 1 byte: 0 = false, 1 = true)
- 3: Number (followed by 8 bytes: double)
- 4: String (followed by size_t length and string data)
DecodeConstants
public List<Constant> DecodeConstants()
List of all decoded constants
Low-Level Reading Methods
Read
public byte[] Read(int size, bool factorEndianness = true)
Whether to reverse bytes if endianness differs
ReadByte
Reads a single byte.
ReadInt32
public int ReadInt32(bool factorEndianness = true)
ReadInt64
Reads an 8-byte integer.
ReadSizeT
Reads a size_t value (4 or 8 bytes depending on bytecode format).
ReadDouble
public double ReadDouble()
ReadString
public string ReadString()
Usage Example
using System.IO;
using IronBrew2.Bytecode_Library.Bytecode;
using IronBrew2.Bytecode_Library.IR;
// Read a compiled Lua file
byte[] bytecode = File.ReadAllBytes("script.luac");
// Deserialize the bytecode
Deserializer deserializer = new Deserializer(bytecode);
Chunk mainChunk = deserializer.DecodeFile();
// Access the decoded structure
Console.WriteLine($"Main function: {mainChunk.Name}");
Console.WriteLine($"Parameters: {mainChunk.ParameterCount}");
Console.WriteLine($"Instructions: {mainChunk.Instructions.Count}");
Console.WriteLine($"Constants: {mainChunk.Constants.Count}");
// Iterate through instructions
foreach (var instruction in mainChunk.Instructions)
{
Console.WriteLine($"[{instruction.PC}] {instruction.OpCode} A={instruction.A} B={instruction.B} C={instruction.C}");
}
// Examine constants
foreach (var constant in mainChunk.Constants)
{
Console.WriteLine($"{constant.Type}: {constant.Data}");
}
// Process nested functions recursively
void ProcessChunk(Chunk chunk, int depth = 0)
{
string indent = new string(' ', depth * 2);
Console.WriteLine($"{indent}Function: {chunk.Name}");
foreach (var nestedChunk in chunk.Functions)
ProcessChunk(nestedChunk, depth + 1);
}
ProcessChunk(mainChunk);
Header (12 bytes)
├── Signature: 0x1B4C7561 ("\x1bLua")
├── Version: 0x51 (Lua 5.1)
├── Format: 0x00 (official)
├── Endianness: 0x01 (little) or 0x00 (big)
├── Int size: 4 bytes
├── Size_t size: 4 or 8 bytes
├── Instruction size: 4 bytes
├── Number size: 8 bytes (double)
└── Integral flag: 0x00 (floating point)
Main Chunk
└── (Recursive chunk structure)
See Also
- Chunk - The structure representing a decoded function
- Instruction - Individual bytecode instructions
- Serializer - Encode chunks back to bytecode