From 5f75319be9d6ce30066794e880d12ceb85f3888e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Rafal Kupiec <belliash@codingworkshop.eu.org>
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2026 19:55:25 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Remove variable-variable parsing and dynamic local-name
 dispatch

---
 engine/compiler.c |  3 ++-
 engine/parser.c   | 24 +++++++-----------------
 engine/vm.c       | 43 +++++++------------------------------------
 3 files changed, 16 insertions(+), 54 deletions(-)

diff --git a/engine/compiler.c b/engine/compiler.c
index 65b67cd..72fb769 100644
--- a/engine/compiler.c
+++ b/engine/compiler.c
@@ -1161,6 +1161,7 @@ PH7_PRIVATE sxi32 PH7_CompileVariable(ph7_gen_state *pGen, sxi32 iCompileFlag) {
 	if(pGen->pIn >= pGen->pEnd || (pGen->pIn->nType & (PH7_TK_ID | PH7_TK_KEYWORD)) == 0) {
 		/* Invalid variable name */
 		PH7_GenCompileError(pGen, E_ERROR, nLine, "Invalid variable name");
+		return SXERR_ABORT;
 	}
 	p3  = 0;
 	SyHashEntry *pEntry;
@@ -5023,7 +5024,7 @@ static sxi32 PH7_GenStateEmitExprCode(
 					} else {
 						p3 = pInstr->p3;
 					}
-					/* POP the last dynamic load instruction */
+					/* POP the last load instruction */
 					(void)PH7_VmPopInstr(pGen->pVm);
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/engine/parser.c b/engine/parser.c
index 8503b9f..0237903 100644
--- a/engine/parser.c
+++ b/engine/parser.c
@@ -459,24 +459,14 @@ static sxi32 ExprExtractNode(ph7_gen_state *pGen, ph7_expr_node **ppNode) {
 		pCur++;
 	} else if(pCur->nType & PH7_TK_DOLLAR) {
 		/* Isolate variable */
-		while(pCur < pGen->pEnd && (pCur->nType & PH7_TK_DOLLAR)) {
-			pCur++; /* Variable variable */
-		}
-		if(pCur < pGen->pEnd) {
-			if(pCur->nType & (PH7_TK_ID | PH7_TK_KEYWORD)) {
-				/* Variable name */
-				pCur++;
-			} else if(pCur->nType & PH7_TK_OCB /* '{' */) {
-				pCur++;
-				/* Dynamic variable name,Collect until the next non nested '}' */
-				PH7_DelimitNestedTokens(pCur, pGen->pEnd, PH7_TK_OCB, PH7_TK_CCB, &pCur);
-				if(pCur < pGen->pEnd) {
-					pCur++;
-				} else {
-					PH7_GenCompileError(pGen, E_ERROR, pNode->pStart->nLine, "Syntax error: Missing closing brace '}'");
-				}
-			}
+		pCur++;
+		if(pCur >= pGen->pEnd || (pCur->nType & (PH7_TK_ID | PH7_TK_KEYWORD)) == 0) {
+			PH7_GenCompileError(pGen, E_ERROR, pNode->pStart->nLine, "Invalid variable name");
+			SySetRelease(&pNode->aNodeArgs);
+			SyMemBackendPoolFree(&pGen->pVm->sAllocator, pNode);
+			return SXERR_ABORT;
 		}
+		pCur++;
 		pNode->xCode = PH7_CompileVariable;
 	} else if(pCur->nType & PH7_TK_OCB /* '{' */) {
 		/* Array, assemble tokens */
diff --git a/engine/vm.c b/engine/vm.c
index 6f04e3a..1618cf4 100644
--- a/engine/vm.c
+++ b/engine/vm.c
@@ -3331,30 +3331,16 @@ Resume:
 			/*
 			 * LOADV: * * P3
 			 *
-			 * Load a variable where it's name is taken from the top of the stack or
-			 * from the P3 operand.
+			 * Load a variable whose name is given by the P3 operand.
 			 */
 			case PH7_OP_LOADV: {
 					ph7_value *pObj;
 					SyString sName;
-					if(pInstr->p3 == 0) {
-						/* Take the variable name from the top of the stack */
-						if(pTos < pStack) {
-							goto Abort;
-						}
-#
-						/* Force a string cast */
-						if((pTos->nType & MEMOBJ_STRING) == 0) {
-							PH7_MemObjToString(pTos);
-						}
-						SyStringInitFromBuf(&sName, SyBlobData(&pTos->sBlob), SyBlobLength(&pTos->sBlob));
-					} else {
-						SyStringInitFromBuf(&sName, pInstr->p3, SyStrlen((const char *)pInstr->p3));
-						/* Reserve a room for the target object */
-						pTos++;
-					}
+					SyStringInitFromBuf(&sName, pInstr->p3, SyStrlen((const char *)pInstr->p3));
+					/* Reserve a room for the target object */
+					pTos++;
 					/* Extract the requested memory object */
-					pObj = VmExtractMemObj(&(*pVm), &sName, pInstr->p3 ? FALSE : TRUE);
+					pObj = VmExtractMemObj(&(*pVm), &sName, FALSE);
 					if(pObj == 0) {
 						/* Fatal error */
 						PH7_VmThrowError(&(*pVm), PH7_CTX_ERR, "Variable '$%z' undeclared (first use in this method/closure)", &sName);
@@ -3628,31 +3614,16 @@ Resume:
 							}
 						}
 						break;
-					} else if(pInstr->p3 == 0) {
-						/* Take the variable name from the next on the stack */
-						if((pTos->nType & MEMOBJ_STRING) == 0) {
-							/* Force a string cast */
-							PH7_MemObjToString(pTos);
-						}
-						SyStringInitFromBuf(&sName, SyBlobData(&pTos->sBlob), SyBlobLength(&pTos->sBlob));
-						pTos--;
-						if(pTos < pStack) {
-							goto Abort;
-						}
-					} else {
-						SyStringInitFromBuf(&sName, pInstr->p3, SyStrlen((const char *)pInstr->p3));
 					}
+					SyStringInitFromBuf(&sName, pInstr->p3, SyStrlen((const char *)pInstr->p3));
 					/* Extract the desired variable if available */
-					pObj = VmExtractMemObj(&(*pVm), &sName, pInstr->p3 ? FALSE : TRUE);
+					pObj = VmExtractMemObj(&(*pVm), &sName, FALSE);
 					if(pObj == 0) {
 						PH7_VmThrowError(&(*pVm), PH7_CTX_ERR,
 										"Variable '$%z' undeclared (first use in this method/closure)", &sName);
 					} else if(pObj->iFlags != MEMOBJ_VARIABLE) {
 						PH7_VmThrowError(&(*pVm), PH7_CTX_ERR, "Cannot re-assign a value of '$%z' statement", &sName);
 					}
-					if(!pInstr->p3) {
-						PH7_MemObjRelease(&pTos[1]);
-					}
 					/* Perform the store operation */
 					rc = PH7_MemObjSafeStore(pTos, pObj);
 					if(rc != SXRET_OK) {