Allow global to be used as an identifier in Lua 5.5 when it is not part of a global declaration

Author: sumneko

.vscode/settings.json

@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@
     "Lua.misc.parameters": [
         //"--preview",
         "--develop=true",
-        "--dbgport=11413",
+        "--dbgport=11431",
+        //"--dbgwait",
         "--loglevel=trace",
+        "--trace-rpc",
+        //"--save-coder",
         //"--shownode",
         //"--lazy",
     ],

changelog.md

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 <!-- Add all new changes here. They will be moved under a version at release -->
+* `FIX` Allow `global` to be used as an identifier in Lua 5.5 when it is not part of a `global` declaration
 
 ## 3.18.0
 `2026-04-03`

script/parser/compile.lua

@@ -1695,14 +1695,26 @@ local function isKeyWord(word, nextToken)
         return true
     end
     if word == 'global' then
-        if State.version == 'Lua 5.5' then
-            return true
-        end
         return false
     end
     return false
 end
 
+local function isGlobalActionStart(nextToken)
+    if State.version ~= 'Lua 5.5' then
+        return false
+    end
+    if not nextToken
+    or nextToken == '*'
+    or nextToken == '<' then
+        return true
+    end
+    if CharMapWord[ssub(nextToken, 1, 1)] then
+        return true
+    end
+    return false
+end
+
 local function parseName(asAction)
     local word = peekWord()
     if not word then
@@ -4441,13 +4453,8 @@ function parseAction()
 
     if token == 'global' then
         local nextToken = Tokens[Index + 3]
-        if isKeyWord('global', nextToken) then
-            if not nextToken
-            or nextToken == '*'
-            or nextToken == '<'
-            or CharMapWord[ssub(nextToken, 1, 1)] then
-                return parseGlobal()
-            end
+        if isGlobalActionStart(nextToken) then
+            return parseGlobal()
         end
     end
 

test/parser_test/syntax_check.lua

@@ -867,6 +867,17 @@ global <const> x = 1
 ]]
 (nil)
 
+TEST [[
+global = 1
+]]
+(nil)
+
+TEST [[
+local global = 1
+return global
+]]
+(nil)
+
 TEST [[
 local <close>x = setmetatable({}, { __close = function () end })
 ]]