# 0089 — backtick raw-identifier escape + `#import c` foreign-name exemption from the reserved-type-name rule > **✅ RESOLVED** (foundation step F0.6). Two mechanisms, per Agra's design > ruling; the final shape is the **universal raw identifier** (attempt 4): > `` `name `` is THE LITERAL identifier `name`, usable in EVERY position — value, > declaration, AND type — meaning only "treat this token as a plain identifier, > never the reserved keyword/type." The backtick is never part of the name's text. > > 1. **Backtick raw identifier.** The lexer recognises a leading backtick > (`` `s2 ``) and emits an `.identifier` token whose span excludes the backtick, > carrying a `Token.is_raw` flag ([src/lexer.zig], [src/token.zig]). The flag > threads through `ast.Identifier`, `ast.TypeExpr`, and EVERY binding / capture / > declaration node ([src/ast.zig]): `VarDecl` / `ConstDecl` / `Param` / `FnDecl` > plus `IfExpr` / `WhileExpr` optional bindings, `ForExpr` capture + index, > `MatchArm` capture, `CatchExpr` / `OnFailStmt` tag bindings, `DestructureDecl` > per-name, protocol-default / foreign-class method params, AND every > type-introducing decl — `StructDecl` / `EnumDecl` / `UnionDecl` / > `ErrorSetDecl` / `ProtocolDecl` / `ForeignClassDecl` / `UfcsAlias` / > `NamespaceDecl` / `ImportDecl` / `CImportDecl` / `LibraryDecl`. > > - **Value position.** The parser skips `Type.fromName` for a raw identifier > in expression position ([src/parser.zig] `parsePrimary`), so `` `s2 `` is a > value identifier; a later bare reference resolves to the binding. > - **Type position.** `parseTypeExpr` sets the raw flag on the type ATOM and > lets it flow through the SAME continuations as a bare name (attempt 5), so a > raw reference parameterizes a reserved-spelled template (`` `s2(s64) ``) and > composes under the pointer / optional / slice wrappers; `ParameterizedTypeExpr` > carries `is_raw` and `resolveParameterizedWithBindings` skips the `Vector` > intrinsic when raw. Resolution skips the builtin classifier > (`TypeResolver.resolveNamed`'s `skip_builtin`, threaded from `te.is_raw` in > [src/ir/lower.zig] and [src/ir/type_bridge.zig]) and looks up a > `` `s2 ``-declared type (struct / enum / union / alias), else a NORMAL > "unknown type 's2'" error (`UnknownTypeChecker.reportIfUnknownType` skips the > builtin-name exemption when raw). A bare `s2` in type position is still the > builtin int. The SECOND (editor/LSP) classifier in [src/sema.zig] > (`Type.fromTypeExpr` / `resolveTypeNode` / `resolveTypeNameStr`) honors > `is_raw` too, so a backtick reserved-name annotation resolves to the user type > in hover/completion, not the builtin (no two-resolver divergence). The raw bit > is carried STRUCTURALLY through every COMPOUND shape's inner-name metadata — > `PointerTypeInfo` / `OptionalTypeInfo` / `SliceTypeInfo` / `ManyPointerTypeInfo` > / `ArrayTypeInfo` each store a REQUIRED `is_raw` ([src/types.zig], no default, > so a future construction site cannot drop it) that every `resolveTypeNameStr` > call passes as its `skip_builtin` — so `` *`s2 ``, `` ?`s2 ``, `` [N]`s2 ``, > `` []`s2 ``, `` [*]`s2 `` field-access / unwrap / index / deref in the editor > index all reach the user type instead of reclassifying the inner `s2` to the > builtin (the divergence the DIRECT-only attempt left for compound forms). > - **Declaration position.** A bare reserved-name declaration of EVERY kind > still errors (issue 0076 preserved); the backtick form is exempt. The check > and the exemption are made structurally symmetric: > `checkBindingName` / `checkDeclName` ([src/ir/semantic_diagnostics.zig]) take > `is_raw` as a REQUIRED argument and skip inside the check — no call site can > validate a name without also honoring the exemption, which is what kept the > two from desyncing across the earlier attempts. On the PARSER side the > symmetry is enforced structurally for the bug-prone node: `ConstDecl`'s > `name_span` + `is_raw` carry NO default (attempt 5), so the compiler rejects > any construction site — including the two struct-body const forms (untyped > `` `s2 :: 5 `` and typed `` `s2 : T : v ``) that previously dropped both — > that omits them. `FnDecl` is built at every parser site through `parseFnDecl`, > whose `name_is_raw` is a REQUIRED parameter (the equivalent guarantee); the > type decls likewise route through parse-functions taking `name_is_raw`. > - **Member-name positions are exempt** (Agra ruling, attempt 7). A struct > **field** name, a union **tag** name, and a protocol **method-signature** > name accept a bare reserved spelling: these sit in a member slot and are > reached via `obj.name` / dispatched by string, so they are never > type-classified and never mis-lower — the binding-name walk's `struct_decl` > / `union_decl` / `enum_decl` / `protocol_decl` arms > ([src/ir/semantic_diagnostics.zig]) check only the *type* name (and method > *params*), not field / tag / variant / method-signature names. The backtick > is optional there (`obj.s2` and `` obj.`s2 `` resolve to the same member). > This bare member-name exemption covers only the **identifier-classified** > reserved spellings — `s1`..`s64`, `u1`..`u64`, `bool`, `string`, `void`, > `usize`, `isize`, `Any` — which all lex as ordinary identifiers. The two > **keyword-classified** spellings, `f32` and `f64`, are lexer keywords > ([src/token.zig]), and a member-name slot requires an identifier token > ([src/parser.zig]); a bare `f32` / `f64` is therefore rejected at parse > (`expected field name in struct`) even in a member position, and still needs > the backtick there too — `` struct { `f32: s64; } `` / `` union { `f64: … } `` > / `` protocol { `f32 :: () -> s64; } `` work as field / tag / method names. > The exemption stops at member *definitions*: an `impl` method is a real > function reached through the `impl_block` → `fn_decl` arm, so a > reserved-spelled impl method needs the backtick (`` `s2 :: (self) ``), no > more exempt than a free function (cf. `examples/1122`). Pinned by > `examples/0158-types-reserved-name-member-exempt.sx`. > 2. **`#import c` foreign-name exemption.** `c_import.zig` synthesizes foreign > `#foreign` decls with `Param.is_raw = true` (and the synthesized `FnDecl` > `is_raw = true`), so generated C names that collide with reserved type names > (`s1`, `s2`) import unedited and a reserved-name foreign fn is bare-callable. > > **Bare-callable foreign / backtick fn.** `lowerCall` rewrites a `.type_expr` > callee to an identifier when a function **of RAW provenance** of that name is in > scope ([src/ir/lower.zig]) — scoped to the callee `FnDecl`'s `is_raw` flag, so it > only ever fires for a backtick / `#import c` foreign fn (the decl check guarantees > no bare reserved-name fn exists). `s2(4)` resolves to the function (`TypeName(val)` > is not a cast). > > **Regression tests.** `examples/0151-types-backtick-raw-identifier.sx` (every > VALUE position), `examples/0152-types-backtick-control-flow.sx` (every > control-flow / capture form), `examples/0153-types-backtick-const-fn-decl.sx` > (backtick `::` const + fn decl, bare + backtick call), > `examples/0154-types-backtick-raw-type-reference.sx` (raw in TYPE position — > struct / enum / union / alias decl + reference; bare `s2` still the int), > `examples/0155-types-backtick-typed-const-union-tag.sx` (typed const + union tag), > `examples/0156-types-backtick-struct-const.sx` (struct-body const, untyped + typed), > `examples/0157-types-backtick-parameterized-raw-type.sx` (raw parameterized type + > pointer/field wrappers), > `examples/0158-types-reserved-name-member-exempt.sx` (bare reserved-name struct > fields / union tag / protocol method signature — read & written bare and via > backtick; impl method definition takes the backtick), > `examples/1054-errors-backtick-reserved-binding.sx` (`catch`/`onfail` tag > bindings), `examples/1220-ffi-c-import-reserved-name-params.{sx,h,c}` (foreign > param + fn-name exemption, bare-callable foreign fn); negatives > `examples/1119`/`1121`/`1123` (bare reserved binding across forms), > `examples/1140-diagnostics-reserved-name-const-fn-decl.sx` (bare const + fn decl), > `examples/1141-diagnostics-reserved-name-type-decl.sx` (bare struct / enum / union > / error / typed-const decl), > `examples/1142-diagnostics-reserved-name-struct-const.sx` (bare struct-body const, > caret on the name). Backtick lexer + `resolveNamed(skip_builtin)` unit tests in > `src/lexer.zig` / `src/ir/type_resolver.test.zig`; the editor/LSP raw-type > resolution (the second classifier) is pinned in `src/sema.test.zig` — the direct > case plus raw provenance through every compound shape (`` *`s2 `` field access, > `` ?`s2 `` unwrap, `` [N]`s2 `` index, parameterized `` `s2(s64) ``), each with a > bare-spelling control that stays the builtin (fail-before verified). > > The original report is preserved below. --- ## Symptom Importing non-sx source whose names collide with sx reserved type names is rejected. `library/modules/stb_truetype.sx` is a `#import c { ... }` block over a vendored C header (`vendors/stb_truetype/stb_truetype.h`); C identifiers `s1`, `s2` (which collide with sx's signed-int type keywords `s1`..`sN`) produce: ``` error: 's1' is a reserved type name and cannot be used as an identifier error: 's2' is a reserved type name and cannot be used as an identifier ``` The user cannot hand-edit these — they are generated from the vendored C header. Separately, sx-authored code has NO way to deliberately use a reserved-name-spelled identifier even when it wants to. ## Root cause The parser classifies any reserved-type-name spelling (`s2`, `u8`, `f64`, …) as a `.type_expr` via `name_class.Type.fromName`, never as an `.identifier`. The F0.1 / issue-0076 fix added `UnknownTypeChecker.checkBindingName` (`src/ir/semantic_diagnostics.zig`) to reject a value binding / param spelled as a reserved type name (the `.type_expr`-vs-`.identifier` mismatch otherwise breaks address-of / autoref lowering). F0.1 deliberately extended this check to imported declarations — which is what now fires on the C-imported `s1`/`s2`. ## Desired behaviour (Agra ruling) External / imported source does NOT need to conform to sx naming standards. Two mechanisms: 1. **Auto-exempt imports.** `#import c` (and other foreign) declarations are treated as RAW identifiers: foreign names are never type-classified and never reserved-checked, so generated bindings "just work" with zero user edits. 2. **Backtick raw-identifier for sx code.** A leading backtick makes the following identifier raw — an identifier that is NEVER type-classified, so it bypasses the reserved-name rule: ```sx `s2 := 2.5; // OK — identifier "s2", distinct from the s2 signed-int type s2 := 2.5; // ERROR — bare s2 is still the reserved type name ``` Prefix form (single leading backtick on the identifier). The raw identifier's TEXT is `s2` (the backtick is not part of the name). A bare `s2` used as a TYPE remains the signed-int type. ## Reproduction sx-side (minimal): ```sx #import "modules/std.sx"; main :: () { `s2 := 2.5; // must compile: identifier s2 = 2.5 print("{}\n", `s2); // 2.5 } ``` Import-side: a `#import c` block over a header declaring `int s1, s2;` (or `stb_truetype.sx`) must NOT emit the reserved-type-name error.