LuaAlias

Provides a Lua-side rename key for C# method overloads, binding O(1) to a single overload and bypassing runtime dispatch. When an alias exists, the C# default method name is not registered.

using ZLua;

public class Demo
{
    [LuaAlias("run_i32")]
    public void Run(int value) { x = value; }

    public void Run(string value) { x = value?.Length ?? 0; }
}

local demo = CSharp.AC.Demo()
demo:run_i32(10)   -- hits Run(int) directly
demo:Run("hi")     -- still goes through Run dispatch

Attribute Definition

[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Method, AllowMultiple = false, Inherited = false)]
public sealed class LuaAliasAttribute : Attribute
{
    public string Alias { get; }
    public LuaAliasAttribute(string alias);
}

Item	Description
Target	Method only
Multiplicity	At most one alias per method
Inheritance	Not inherited by subclass overrides

Key-Space Rules

At Bind time, [LuaAlias] replaces that method's default Lua key; it allows collision with other methods' default names or aliases (collisions join the same overload group and use dispatch). If the alias has only one candidate, it is direct — preferred on hot paths.

Full rules: overload spec §5. When multiple same-name candidates exist, full-signature keys are also hung automatically (§3.7).

[LuaAlias("run_i32")]   // usually single candidate → direct
public void Run(int value) { }

public void Run(string value) { }  // default name still joins the "Run" group

XML Config (When Source Cannot Change)

Configured separately from [LuaMarshalAs]: Settings use the independent field luaAliasXmlPaths, root element ZLuaAlias.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ZLuaAlias version="1">
  <Assembly name="Assembly-CSharp">
    <Type fullName="Demo">
      <Method name="Run" signature="(System.Int32)" alias="run_i32"/>
    </Type>
  </Assembly>
</ZLuaAlias>

Field	Description
`Assembly/@name`	Assembly short name
`Type/@fullName`	Full type name
`Method/@name`	C# method name
`Method/@signature`	Parameters only, e.g. `(System.Int32)`
`Method/@alias`	Final Lua key (required; replaces default name)

Priority: Attribute > XML. With an alias, MethodInfo.Name is not hung. Authoritative text: overload spec §5.4.

Static / Instance

Method kind	Where alias is written	Lua call
Instance	Instance `methodTable`	`obj:alias(...)`
Static	Type-table `methodTable`	`TypeTable.alias(...)`

Relation to Full-Signature Keys / `register_method`

Approach	Timing	When to use
Full-signature key `Run(System.Int32)`	Automatic at Bind (same-name multi-candidate)	Precise pick; no C# change, no API
`[LuaAlias]` / XML	On type `EnsureBinding`	Compile-time short name; hot-path preferred
`zlua.register_method`	Lua runtime	Hang a direct (often from a full-signature key) under a custom short name for `obj:alias(...)`

[LuaAlias] / XML is a rename on methodTable (replaces the default key); full-signature keys pick which overload; register_method hangs an extra short name at runtime.

Mono / Il2Cpp Support

Runtime	Support
Mono (Editor)	✅
Il2Cpp (Player)	✅

Attribute Definition​

Key-Space Rules​

XML Config (When Source Cannot Change)​

Static / Instance​

Relation to Full-Signature Keys / register_method​

Mono / Il2Cpp Support​

Related​