public static object BytesToParticle(int type, byte[] buf, int offset, int len)
        {
            switch (type)
            {
                case ParticleType.STRING:
                    return Utf8ToString(buf, offset, len);

                case ParticleType.INTEGER:
                    return BytesToNumber(buf, offset, len);

                case ParticleType.DOUBLE:
                    return BytesToDouble(buf, offset);

                case ParticleType.BLOB:
                    byte[] dest = new byte[len];
                    Array.Copy(buf, offset, dest, 0, len);
                    return dest;

                case ParticleType.CSHARP_BLOB:
                    return BytesToObject(buf, offset, len);

                case ParticleType.LIST:
                {
                    Unpacker unpacker = new Unpacker(buf, offset, len, false);
                    return unpacker.UnpackList();
                }

                case ParticleType.MAP:
                {
                    Unpacker unpacker = new Unpacker(buf, offset, len, false);
                    return unpacker.UnpackMap();
                }

                default:
                    return null;
            }
        }
        public static object BytesToLua(int type, byte[] buf, int offset, int len)
        {
            if (len <= 0) {
                return null;
            }

            switch (type) {
            case ParticleType.STRING:
                return ByteUtil.Utf8ToString(buf, offset, len);

            case ParticleType.INTEGER:
                return ByteUtil.BytesToNumber(buf, offset, len);

            case ParticleType.DOUBLE:
                return ByteUtil.BytesToDouble(buf, offset);

            case ParticleType.BLOB:
                byte[] dest = new byte[len];
                Array.Copy(buf, offset, dest, 0, len);
                return new LuaBytes(dest);

            case ParticleType.CSHARP_BLOB:
                return ByteUtil.BytesToObject(buf, offset, len);

            case ParticleType.LIST:
            {
                Unpacker unpacker = new Unpacker(buf, offset, len, true);
                return unpacker.UnpackList();
            }

            case ParticleType.MAP:
            {
                Unpacker unpacker = new Unpacker(buf, offset, len, true);
                return unpacker.UnpackMap();
            }

            case ParticleType.GEOJSON:
            {
                // skip the flags
                int ncells = ByteUtil.BytesToShort(buf, offset + 1);
                int hdrsz = 1 + 2 + (ncells * 8);
                return new LuaGeoJSON(ByteUtil.Utf8ToString(buf, offset + hdrsz, len - hdrsz));
            }

            default:
                return null;
            }
        }