lua-bytecode-builder

Overview

This repository provides scripts and tools to compile the Lua runtime and generate Lua bytecode for embedding in the MultiReplace plugin (see notepadpp-multireplace).

By precompiling Lua scripts, this setup enhances execution speed and security by embedding the bytecode directly into the plugin, removing the need for external Lua script files.

Features

• Lua Compilation: Scripts to compile lua.exe and luac.exe for generating Lua bytecode.
• Automated Bytecode Generation: Converts Lua scripts (.lua) into bytecode (.luac).
• C++ Integration: Generates a luaEmbedded.h file containing the compiled bytecode for direct embedding into MultiReplace.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works with Windows using Visual Studio 2022.

Usage

1. Compile Lua and Luac

Run the following command to compile the Lua interpreter and bytecode compiler:

./compile_lua.bat

2. Compile Lua script to bytecode

Convert the initScript.lua file into Lua bytecode:

./compile_luac.bat

3. Generate C++ Header with Lua Bytecode

Convert the compiled bytecode into a C++ header file:

cscript //nologo convert_luac.vbs

4. Run Everything at Once

Alternatively, execute the full build process in one step:

./run_all.bat

Configuration

The Lua directory can be set as a parameter when running run_all.bat. If no path is specified, the default lua-5.4.6 directory is used.

Example usage:

./run_all.bat lua-5.4.6

Output Files

• initScript.luac → Compiled Lua bytecode
• luaEmbedded.h → C++ header containing bytecode and source