<p>before I can answer there is an important distinction that must be done</p>
<p><strong>on-chain code can be serialized, off-chain code stays &quot;off the chain&quot; so there is nothing to serialize</strong></p>
<p>so if you are searching for a way to serialize your off-chain code (which can be written in any language, from Haskell with the <code>Contract</code> monad to javascript thanks to the <code>cardano-serialization-library</code>) unfortunately there is nothing to do</p>
<h2>serialize the on-chain code</h2>
<p>from the chain point of view there is no difference between <code>Validator</code>s and <code>MintingPolicy</code>(ies) and <code>StakeValidator</code></p>
<p>all of them are <code>Script</code>s for the chain, treated differently based on the <code>ScriptPourpose</code> of that transaction</p>
<p>so you first need to get the raw <code>Script</code> of your smart contract</p>
<p>you can do that with the following functions (all form <a href="https://playground.plutus.iohkdev.io/doc/haddock/plutus-ledger-api/html/Plutus-V1-Ledger-Api.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><code>Plutus.V1.Ledger.Api</code> module</a>)</p>
<pre><code>unValidatorScript :: Validator -&gt; Script
getMintingPolicy :: MintingPolicy -&gt; Script
getStakeValidator :: StakeValidator -&gt; Script
</code></pre>
<p>once you have your <code>Script</code> the process is always the same</p>
<p><code>Script</code> has an instance of the <code>Srialize</code> typeclass which conviniently exposes the <code>serialise</code> function:</p>
<pre><code>serialise :: forall a. Serialise a =&gt; a -&gt; ByteString
</code></pre>
<p>then we need to <strong>strictly evaluate</strong> the byte-string and make sure the values do fit in <code>short</code>s types, this can be done by concatenating the following two functions</p>
<pre><code>import qualified Data.ByteString.Short          as SBS
import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy           as LBS

-- LBS.toStrict :: ByteString -&gt; ByteString
-- SBS.toShort :: ByteString -&gt; ShortByteString
asStrictBS :: ByteString -&gt; ShortByteString
asStrictBS = SBS.toShort . LBS.toStrict
</code></pre>
<p>then we have to specify how to interpret the <code>ShortByteString</code> we have:</p>
<pre><code>-- PlutusScriptSerialized is a constrctor
PlutusScriptSerialized :: ShortByteString -&gt; PlutusScript PlutusScriptV1
</code></pre>
<p>and finally get our <code>Script</code> into a file, which can be done thanks to the <code>writeFileTextEnvelope</code> from the <code>Cardano.Api.SerialiseTextEnvelope</code> module:</p>
<pre><code>writeFileTextEnvelope :: forall a.
HasTextEnvelope a =&gt;
FilePath
-&gt; Maybe TextEnvelopeDescr -&gt; a -&gt; IO (Either (FileError ()) ())
</code></pre>
<p>I usually do all this whit the following utility funciutons:</p>
<pre><code>getAndWriteScript :: ( willBeScript -&gt; Ledger.Script ) -&gt; FilePath -&gt; willBeScript -&gt; IO (Either (FileError ()) ())
getAndWriteScript getScript filePath =
--                          PlutusScript PlutusScriptV1 instance of HasTextEnvelope  
    writeFileTextEnvelope @(PlutusScript PlutusScriptV1) filePath
    Nothing -- Maybe TextEnvelopeDescr ( Nothing =&gt; default )
    . PlutusScriptSerialised . SBS.toShort . LBS.toStrict . serialise . getScript

writeMintingPolicy :: FilePath -&gt; Scripts.MintingPolicy -&gt; IO (Either (FileError ()) ())
writeMintingPolicy = getAndWriteScript Ledger.getMintingPolicy

writeValidator :: FilePath -&gt; Scripts.Validator -&gt; IO (Either (FileError ()) ())
writeValidator = getAndWriteScript Ledger.unValidatorScript
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-23T07:20:58.503Z
Also have a look at https://playground.plutus.iohkdev.io/doc/haddock/plutus-ledger-api/html/Plutus-V2-Ledger-Api.html#v:validateScript. This functions checks if a `SerializedScript` is correctly serialized.
Fermat
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-22T19:09:57.507Z
2022-06-22T19:09:57.507Z
Michele Nuzzi
<p>Assuming I made an arbitrary smart contract and want to serialise the endpoint after I have the validator hash and address hash, what should I do to ensure that the serialisation is as safe as possible?</p>
<p>are there steps I should follow to make minimum security guarantees or some software I can use to test it? How do I know that the serialisation is done correctly?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-22T16:52:01.730Z
The current format of the question is a bit vague. Could you try to rephrase it? Are you trying to assert if you contract is safe to use from a design perspective? Or if the serialization does what it is meant to do?
Fermat
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-06-22T17:19:29.180Z
Okay thanks for the input, I'll rewrite it when I'm on my laptop
KryptoKing
<cardano-serialization-lib><smart-contract>
How to Securely Serialise a Plutus Smart Contract Endpoint?
# How to Securely Serialise a Plutus Smart Contract Endpoint?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-06-22)

Assuming I made an arbitrary smart contract and want to serialise the endpoint after I have the validator hash and address hash, what should I do to ensure that the serialisation is as safe as possible?

are there steps I should follow to make minimum security guarantees or some software I can use to test it? How do I know that the serialisation is done correctly?

**Tags:** cardano-serialization-lib, smart-contract
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The current format of the question is a bit vague. Could you try to rephrase it? Are you trying to assert if you contract is safe to use from a design perspective? Or if the serialization does what it is meant to do?  
> **username_0**: Okay thanks for the input, I'll rewrite it when I'm on my laptop  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-06-22. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

before I can answer there is an important distinction that must be done
on-chain code can be serialized, off-chain code stays "off the chain" so there is nothing to serialize
so if you are searching for a way to serialize your off-chain code (which can be written in any language, from Haskell with the Contract monad to javascript thanks to the cardano-serialization-library) unfortunately there is nothing to do
serialize the on-chain code
from the chain point of view there is no difference between Validators and MintingPolicy(ies) and StakeValidator
all of them are Scripts for the chain, treated differently based on the ScriptPourpose of that transaction
so you first need to get the raw Script of your smart contract
you can do that with the following functions (all form Plutus.V1.Ledger.Api module)
unValidatorScript :: Validator -> Script
getMintingPolicy :: MintingPolicy -> Script
getStakeValidator :: StakeValidator -> Script

once you have your Script the process is always the same
Script has an instance of the Srialize typeclass which conviniently exposes the serialise function:
serialise :: forall a. Serialise a => a -> ByteString

then we need to strictly evaluate the byte-string and make sure the values do fit in shorts types, this can be done by concatenating the following two functions
import qualified Data.ByteString.Short          as SBS
import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy           as LBS

-- LBS.toStrict :: ByteString -> ByteString
-- SBS.toShort :: ByteString -> ShortByteString
asStrictBS :: ByteString -> ShortByteString
asStrictBS = SBS.toShort . LBS.toStrict

then we have to specify how to interpret the ShortByteString we have:
-- PlutusScriptSerialized is a constrctor
PlutusScriptSerialized :: ShortByteString -> PlutusScript PlutusScriptV1

and finally get our Script into a file, which can be done thanks to the writeFileTextEnvelope from the Cardano.Api.SerialiseTextEnvelope module:
writeFileTextEnvelope :: forall a.
HasTextEnvelope a =>
FilePath
-> Maybe TextEnvelopeDescr -> a -> IO (Either (FileError ()) ())

I usually do all this whit the following utility funciutons:
getAndWriteScript :: ( willBeScript -> Ledger.Script ) -> FilePath -> willBeScript -> IO (Either (FileError ()) ())
getAndWriteScript getScript filePath =
--                          PlutusScript PlutusScriptV1 instance of HasTextEnvelope  
    writeFileTextEnvelope @(PlutusScript PlutusScriptV1) filePath
    Nothing -- Maybe TextEnvelopeDescr ( Nothing => default )
    . PlutusScriptSerialised . SBS.toShort . LBS.toStrict . serialise . getScript

writeMintingPolicy :: FilePath -> Scripts.MintingPolicy -> IO (Either (FileError ()) ())
writeMintingPolicy = getAndWriteScript Ledger.getMintingPolicy

writeValidator :: FilePath -> Scripts.Validator -> IO (Either (FileError ()) ())
writeValidator = getAndWriteScript Ledger.unValidatorScript

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Also have a look at https://playground.plutus.iohkdev.io/doc/haddock/plutus-ledger-api/html/Plutus-V2-Ledger-Api.html#v:validateScript. This functions checks if a `SerializedScript` is correctly serialized.  

---

