ACF-Plugin v1.7.7.4 – Smarter Compiler, Stronger Foundations

We’re excited to announce the release of ACF-Plugin v1.7.7.4 along with the matching ACF_Compiler. This version focuses on major improvements to the compiler itself, laying the groundwork for more powerful and reliable ACF development.

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🚀 Key Improvements

Two-Pass Compilation

The compiler now runs in two passes:

1. First pass collects all declarations and prepares variable initialization.
2. Second pass parses the code, ignoring declarations but applying assignments.

This means you can safely declare variables inside conditional or loop structures without worrying about missing initialization.

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Smarter Variable Handling

• Declarations inside loops → Variables are cleared for each iteration.
• Declarations inside conditionals → Variables remain in scope until the end of the function, not just the branch.
• Declarations with assignments → Example:

if ( false ) then
  int a = 5, b = 6;
end if

• a and b are declared up front, initialized to zero.
• Since the branch never executes, the assignment is skipped.
• The compiler guarantees consistent behavior.

• Zero-initialized locals → Every local variable starts with a safe zero/empty value at the top of the function.

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Strict but Flexible

Even with the new two-pass system, the compiler enforces declaration before use. Variables declared after they are used will still trigger:

Compiler error: Variable used before declaration

This keeps your code clean and predictable.

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Binary Compatibility

Functions compiled with v1.7.7.3 are still binary-compatible with earlier versions. That means code compiled today can run on v1.7.6.5 runtime as long as the used features exist there.

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Why It Matters

This update makes your ACF code:

• More robust → safer variable handling and initialization.
• Easier to maintain → clear separation between declaration and assignment.
• Future-ready → foundation for more advanced language features.

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👉 Download the new release, try out the improved compiler, and see how it streamlines your ACF development workflow.

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