🩹 [Patch]: Reserved words in Lua input now detected with option to skip validation

[Marius Storhaug (MariusStorhaug)]

ConvertFrom-Lua now validates that bare identifier keys and variable names are not Lua reserved words, throwing a clear error by default. A new -SkipValidation switch allows lenient import of out-of-spec data, emitting per-occurrence warnings instead. Enum string serialization no longer double-escapes backslashes.

• Fixes Validate reserved words in ConvertFrom-Lua with -SkipValidation for lenient import #5

Changed: Reserved word validation on deserialization

ConvertFrom-Lua now rejects bare reserved words used as table keys or assignment variable names — matching the Lua 5.4 §3.1 grammar rules. Previously, invalid Lua like { end = 1 } or while = 42 was silently parsed.

# Default — throws a terminating error
ConvertFrom-Lua -InputObject '{ end = 1 }'
# Error: Reserved word 'end' cannot be used as a bare identifier key in a Lua table.
#        Use bracket notation: [\"end\"] = value.

Bracket-notation keys with reserved word strings remain fully supported:

ConvertFrom-Lua -InputObject '{ [\"end\"] = 1, [\"while\"] = 2 }' -AsHashtable
# Returns: @{ end = 1; while = 2 }

New: -SkipValidation switch for lenient import

When importing data that may not be spec-compliant, use -SkipValidation to suppress errors. Each reserved word occurrence produces its own warning, and parsing continues normally.

ConvertFrom-Lua -InputObject '{ end = 1, while = 2 }' -AsHashtable -SkipValidation
# WARNING: Reserved word 'end' used as a bare identifier key at position 2.
# WARNING: Reserved word 'while' used as a bare identifier key at position 11.
# Returns: @{ end = 1; while = 2 }

Fixed: Enum string escaping no longer double-escapes backslashes

ConvertTo-Lua -EnumsAsStrings previously produced \\\\ instead of \\ for backslashes in enum string representations due to an incorrect -replace pattern.

Technical Details

• ConvertFrom-Lua.ps1: Added -SkipValidation switch parameter, threaded to ConvertFrom-LuaTable via -SkipValidation:$SkipValidation.
• ConvertFrom-LuaTable.ps1: Added -SkipValidation parameter. Stored as $script:luaSkipValidation for use by recursive parser functions. Added $reservedWords array and validation after variable name extraction in the assignment parsing path — throws or warns based on skip flag.
• Read-LuaTable.ps1: Added $reservedWords array and validation after bare identifier + = detection — throws or warns based on $script:luaSkipValidation.
• ConvertTo-LuaTable.ps1: Fixed enum escaping: -replace '\\', '\\\\' → -replace '\\', '\\'.
• return keyword note: return is consumed as a leading keyword before assignment detection (for return { ... } patterns), so return = 42 triggers a different parse error rather than the reserved word check. Tests use while as the second assignment variable test word.
• Tests: 8 new tests — 5 for default throw behavior (bare table keys ×2, bracket notation positive, assignment variables ×2), 3 for -SkipValidation (bare key warning, assignment warning, multiple warnings with count assertion)."

[github-actions]

Super-linter summary

Language	Validation result
CHECKOV	Pass ✅
GITHUB_ACTIONS	Pass ✅
GITLEAKS	Pass ✅
GIT_MERGE_CONFLICT_MARKERS	Pass ✅
JSON	Pass ✅
LUA	Pass ✅
MARKDOWN	Pass ✅
NATURAL_LANGUAGE	Pass ✅
POWERSHELL	Fail ❌
PRE_COMMIT	Pass ✅
SPELL_CODESPELL	Pass ✅
TRIVY	Pass ✅
YAML	Pass ✅

Super-linter detected linting errors

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POWERSHELL

�[32;1mRuleName                           �[0m�[32;1m Severity    �[0m�[32;1m ScriptName�[0m�[32;1m Line �[0m�[32;1m Message�[0m
�[32;1m--------                           �[0m �[32;1m--------    �[0m �[32;1m----------�[0m �[32;1m---- �[0m �[32;1m-------�[0m
PSAvoidLongLines                    Warning      Read-LuaTa 94    Line exceeds
                                                 ble.ps1          the configure
                                                                  d maximum len
                                                                  gth of 150 ch
                                                                  aracters


�[32;1mRuleName                           �[0m�[32;1m Severity    �[0m�[32;1m ScriptName�[0m�[32;1m Line �[0m�[32;1m Message�[0m
�[32;1m--------                           �[0m �[32;1m--------    �[0m �[32;1m----------�[0m �[32;1m---- �[0m �[32;1m-------�[0m
PSAvoidLongLines                    Warning      ConvertFro 90    Line exceeds
                                                 m-Lua.ps1        the configure
                                                                  d maximum len
                                                                  gth of 150 ch
                                                                  aracters

[github-actions]

Super-linter summary

Language	Validation result
CHECKOV	Pass ✅
GITHUB_ACTIONS	Pass ✅
GITLEAKS	Pass ✅
GIT_MERGE_CONFLICT_MARKERS	Pass ✅
JSON	Pass ✅
LUA	Pass ✅
MARKDOWN	Pass ✅
NATURAL_LANGUAGE	Pass ✅
POWERSHELL	Fail ❌
PRE_COMMIT	Pass ✅
SPELL_CODESPELL	Pass ✅
TRIVY	Pass ✅
YAML	Pass ✅

Super-linter detected linting errors

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POWERSHELL

�[32;1mRuleName                           �[0m�[32;1m Severity    �[0m�[32;1m ScriptName�[0m�[32;1m Line �[0m�[32;1m Message�[0m
�[32;1m--------                           �[0m �[32;1m--------    �[0m �[32;1m----------�[0m �[32;1m---- �[0m �[32;1m-------�[0m
PSUseConsistentIndentation          Warning      Read-LuaTa 95    Indentation n
                                                 ble.ps1          ot consistent


�[32;1mRuleName                           �[0m�[32;1m Severity    �[0m�[32;1m ScriptName�[0m�[32;1m Line �[0m�[32;1m Message�[0m
�[32;1m--------                           �[0m �[32;1m--------    �[0m �[32;1m----------�[0m �[32;1m---- �[0m �[32;1m-------�[0m
PSAlignAssignmentStatement          Warning      ConvertFro 91    Assignment st
                                                 m-Lua.ps1        atements are
                                                                  not aligned
PSAlignAssignmentStatement          Warning      ConvertFro 93    Assignment st
                                                 m-Lua.ps1        atements are
                                                                  not aligned
PSAlignAssignmentStatement          Warning      ConvertFro 94    Assignment st
                                                 m-Lua.ps1        atements are
                                                                  not aligned