much progress

compiler/ast2nif.nim

@@ -345,6 +345,8 @@ proc writeSymDef(w: var Writer; dest: var TokenBuf; sym: PSym) =
 
   if sym.kindImpl == skModule:
     dest.addDotToken() # position will be set by the loader!
+  elif sym.kindImpl in {skVar, skLet, skForVar, skResult}:
+    dest.addIntLit 0  # hack for the VM which uses this field to store information
   else:
     dest.addIntLit sym.positionImpl
 
@@ -879,7 +881,11 @@ proc readEmbeddedIndex(s: var Stream): Table[string, NifIndexEntry] =
 proc moduleId(c: var DecodeContext; suffix: string; flags: set[LoadFlag] = {}): FileIndex =
   var isKnownFile = false
   result = c.infos.config.registerNifSuffix(suffix, isKnownFile)
-  if not isKnownFile or AlwaysLoadInterface in flags:
+  # Always load the module's index if it's not already in c.mods
+  # This is needed when resolving symbols from modules that were registered elsewhere
+  # but haven't had their NIF index loaded yet
+  let hasEntry = c.mods.hasKey(result)
+  if not hasEntry or AlwaysLoadInterface in flags:
     let modFile = (getNimcacheDir(c.infos.config) / RelativeFile(suffix & ".nif")).string
     if not fileExists(modFile):
       raiseAssert "NIF file not found for module suffix '" & suffix & "': " & modFile &
@@ -1438,7 +1444,13 @@ proc resolveSym(c: var DecodeContext; symAsStr: string; alsoConsiderPrivate: boo
     return nil  # Local symbols shouldn't be hooks
   let module = moduleId(c, sn.module)
   # Look up the symbol in the module's index
+  # Try both formats: with module suffix (e.g., "foo.0.modulename") and without (e.g., "foo.0.")
+  # NIF spec allows local symbols to be stored without module suffix
   var offs = c.mods[module].index.getOrDefault(symAsStr)
+  if offs.offset == 0:
+    # Try the format without module suffix
+    let localKey = sn.name & "." & $sn.count & "."
+    offs = c.mods[module].index.getOrDefault(localKey)
   if offs.offset == 0:
     return nil
   if not alsoConsiderPrivate and offs.vis == Hidden:

compiler/modulegraphs.nim

@@ -375,8 +375,8 @@ proc loadCompilerProc*(g: ModuleGraph; name: string): PSym =
   if g.config.symbolFiles == disabledSf and optWithinConfigSystem notin g.config.globalOptions:
     # For NIF-based compilation, search in loaded NIF modules
     when not defined(nimKochBootstrap):
-      # Only try to resolve from NIF if we're actually using NIF files (cmdNifC)
-      if g.config.cmd == cmdNifC:
+      # Try to resolve from NIF for both cmdNifC and cmdM (which uses NIF files)
+      if g.config.cmd in {cmdNifC, cmdM}:
         # First try system module (most compilerprocs are there)
         let systemFileIdx = g.config.m.systemFileIdx
         if systemFileIdx != InvalidFileIdx:

compiler/vmgen.nim

@@ -1586,7 +1586,6 @@ proc genAsgn(c: PCtx; dest: TDest; ri: PNode; requiresCopy: bool) =
 proc setSlot(c: PCtx; v: PSym) =
   # XXX generate type initialization here?
   if v.position == 0:
-    # IC: review this solution again later
     v.positionImpl = getFreeRegister(c, if v.kind == skLet: slotFixedLet else: slotFixedVar, start = 1)
 
 template cannotEval(c: PCtx; n: PNode) =