Basic attempt at a php deserializer in CFML

php_deserialize.cfc

component {

public any function run(required string data){
  variables.data = arguments.data;
  variables.position = 1;
  variables.bytebuffer = CreateObject("java", "java.nio.ByteBuffer");
  return deserializeItem();
}

private any function deserializeItem(){
  // Don't use readUntil for this, because some types (like Null) use a different stop char
  var type = Mid(variables.data, variables.position, 1);
  variables.position += 2; //Skip over the : or ; after type
  switch(type){
    case 'a':
      var shell = {};
      var numKeys = readUntil(':');
      variables.position += 1; // Skip the opening {
      var isArrayLike = true;
      for( var i = 0; i < numKeys; i++ ){
        var key = deserializeItem();
        var value = deserializeItem();
        isArrayLike = isArrayLike && IsSimpleValue(key) && key == i;
        shell[key] = value;
      }

      if( isArrayLike ){
        var arrShell = [];
        for( var i = 0; i < numKeys; i++ ){
          arrShell.Append(shell[i]);
        }
        shell = arrShell;
      }

      variables.position += 1; // Skip over closing }
      return shell;
      break;
    case 'b':
      return !!Val(readUntil(';'));
      break;
    case 'd':
    case 'i':
      return readUntil(';');
      break;
    case 'N':
      return ''; // Or w/e you want to be "null"
      break;
    case 's':
      var length = readUntil(':');
      var value = getString(length);
      variables.position += 3 + Len(value); // Skip value, with enclosing quotes and the ;
      return value;
      break;
    default:
      throw( message = "Unknown Type: #type# Current position: #variables.position#",
        detail = Mid(variables.data, variables.position - 20, 20));
  }
}

/* Gets a string value of a specific bytelength, doesn't alter position */
private string function getString(required numeric length){
  var applicableString = Mid(variables.data, variables.position + 1, arguments.length);
  var asbinary = charsetDecode( applicableString, "utf-8" );
  var buffer = variables.bytebuffer.Allocate( JavaCast( "int", arguments.length ) );
  buffer.Put( asbinary, JavaCast( "int", 0 ), JavaCast( "int", arguments.length ) );
  var binarySubString = buffer.Array();
  return charsetEncode( binarySubString, "utf-8" );
}

/* Gets the value from current position to stop char, then sets the position to one after the stop char */
private string function readUntil(required string stopChar){
  var stopCharPos = Find(arguments.stopChar, variables.data, variables.position);
  var length = stopCharPos - variables.position;
  var value = Mid(variables.data, variables.position, length);
  variables.position = stopCharPos + 1;
  return value;
}

}