From 4e292a6edfa68c4c79e142eb043d0f5c0680d767 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Alexander Medvednikov <alexander@medvednikov.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2026 21:03:28 +0300
Subject: [PATCH] veb: fix @import gives `invalid character` but should
 `undefined ident` (fixes #23623)

---
 .../tests/template_keyword_ident_err.out      | 20 +++++++++++++++
 .../tests/template_keyword_ident_err.vv       | 18 +++++++++++++
 .../templates/template_keyword_ident_err.html |  1 +
 vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v                          | 25 +++++++++++++++++++
 4 files changed, 64 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 vlib/v/checker/tests/template_keyword_ident_err.out
 create mode 100644 vlib/v/checker/tests/template_keyword_ident_err.vv
 create mode 100644 vlib/v/checker/tests/templates/template_keyword_ident_err.html

diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/template_keyword_ident_err.out b/vlib/v/checker/tests/template_keyword_ident_err.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6626384ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/template_keyword_ident_err.out
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+./templates/template_keyword_ident_err.html:1:31: error: undefined ident: `import` (veb action: index)
+    1 | @import 'example'
+      |                  ^
+called from vlib/v/checker/tests/template_keyword_ident_err.vv:12:9
+   10 | 
+   11 | pub fn (mut app Application) index() veb.Result {
+   12 |     return $veb.html('./templates/template_keyword_ident_err.html')
+      |            ^
+   13 | }
+   14 | 
+./templates/template_keyword_ident_err.html:1:31: error: expression does not return a value (veb action: index)
+    1 | @import 'example'
+      |                  ^
+called from vlib/v/checker/tests/template_keyword_ident_err.vv:12:9
+   10 | 
+   11 | pub fn (mut app Application) index() veb.Result {
+   12 |     return $veb.html('./templates/template_keyword_ident_err.html')
+      |            ^
+   13 | }
+   14 | 
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/template_keyword_ident_err.vv b/vlib/v/checker/tests/template_keyword_ident_err.vv
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..015646640
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/template_keyword_ident_err.vv
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+module main
+
+import veb
+
+pub struct Context {
+	veb.Context
+}
+
+pub struct Application {}
+
+pub fn (mut app Application) index() veb.Result {
+	return $veb.html('./templates/template_keyword_ident_err.html')
+}
+
+fn main() {
+	mut app := &Application{}
+	veb.run[Application, Context](mut app, 8080)
+}
diff --git a/vlib/v/checker/tests/templates/template_keyword_ident_err.html b/vlib/v/checker/tests/templates/template_keyword_ident_err.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..56304a012
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/checker/tests/templates/template_keyword_ident_err.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+@import 'example'
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v b/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v
index f67ea8cd0..e69503bfb 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v
@@ -284,6 +284,7 @@ fn insert_template_code(fn_name string, tmpl_str_start string, line string) stri
 		i++
 	}
 	mut rline := sb.str()
+	rline = normalize_keyword_template_interpolations(rline)
 	comptime_call_str := rline.find_between('\${', '}')
 	if comptime_call_str.contains("\\'") {
 		rline = rline.replace(comptime_call_str, comptime_call_str.replace("\\'", r"'"))
@@ -294,6 +295,30 @@ fn insert_template_code(fn_name string, tmpl_str_start string, line string) stri
 	return rline
 }
 
+fn normalize_keyword_template_interpolations(line string) string {
+	mut sb := strings.new_builder(line.len)
+	mut i := 0
+	for i < line.len {
+		ch := line[i]
+		if ch == `$` && i + 1 < line.len && (line[i + 1].is_letter() || line[i + 1] == `_`) {
+			mut j := i + 1
+			for j < line.len && (line[j].is_letter() || line[j].is_digit() || line[j] == `_`) {
+				j++
+			}
+			name := line[i + 1..j]
+			if token.is_key(name) {
+				// Force keyword names into the escaped identifier form to avoid parser/scanner issues.
+				sb.write_string('\${@${name}}')
+				i = j
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+		sb.write_u8(ch)
+		i++
+	}
+	return sb.str()
+}
+
 // struct to track dependecies and cache templates for reuse without io
 struct DependencyCache {
 pub mut:
-- 
2.39.5