fixes #1131

compiler/sempass2.nim

@@ -688,9 +688,6 @@ proc track(tracked: PEffects, n: PNode) =
           initVar(tracked, child.sons[i], volatileCheck=false)
           addAsgnFact(tracked.guards, child.sons[i], last)
           notNilCheck(tracked, last, child.sons[i].typ)
-      #if last.kind != nkEmpty:
-        # prevent the all too common 'var x = int' bug: XXX
-      
       # since 'var (a, b): T = ()' is not even allowed, there is always type
       # inference for (a, b) and thus no nil checking is necessary.
   of nkCaseStmt: trackCase(tracked, n)

compiler/semstmts.nim

@@ -359,6 +359,10 @@ proc semVarOrLet(c: PContext, n: PNode, symkind: TSymKind): PNode =
     var def: PNode
     if a.sons[length-1].kind != nkEmpty:
       def = semExprWithType(c, a.sons[length-1], {efAllowDestructor})
+      if def.typ.kind == tyTypeDesc and c.p.owner.kind != skMacro:
+        # prevent the all too common 'var x = int' bug:
+        localError(def.info, "'typedesc' metatype is not valid here; typed '=' instead of ':'?")
+        def.typ = errorType(c)
       if typ != nil:
         if typ.isMetaType:
           def = inferWithMetatype(c, typ, def)

tests/metatype/typedesc_as_value.nim

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+discard """
+  errormsg: "'typedesc' metatype is not valid here; typed '=' instead of ':'?"
+"""
+
+
+var x = int
+
+echo x
+
+
+

todo.txt

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ version 0.10.4
 - improve GC-unsafety warnings
 - get rid of 'mget'; aka priority of 'var' needs to be 'var{lvalue}'
 - improve documentation (theindex!)
-- fix the getUniqueType() bug
 
 
 version 1.0