LuaLS / LuaLS/lua-language-server

Using LuaJIT's nil-coalescing extension does not narrow the type correctly

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Lua
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Description

### How are you using the lua-language-server?

Other

### Which OS are you using?

Linux

### What is the issue affecting?

Type Checking

### Expected Behaviour

Using the nil-coalescing operator should narrow an expressions type. For example, in this sample code, the type of `b` should be narrowed to `integer`:
```lua
---@type integer?
local foo = 1
local bar = foo ?? 2
```

### Actual Behaviour

Instead of the type being narrowed, the type of `foo` is copied instead, and the type of `bar` is thought to be `integer?` instead of `integer`.

### Reproduction steps

1. Insert the following sample code in a project:
```lua
---@type integer?
local foo = 1
local bar = foo ?? 2
```
2. Check the type of `b`

### Additional Notes

This seems to work fine using the classic Lua approach with `or`:
```lua
---@type integer?
local foo = 1
local bar = foo or 2
```
The type of `bar` is `integer` here, as expected.

### Log File

_No response_

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing the issue in the lua-language-server type checker with the provided `??` example, then compare its inferred type with the equivalent `or` expression. Trace how the nil-coalescing expression handles nullable operands; done means `bar` is inferred as `integer` and the existing behavior remains correct for the comparison case.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
lua
Domain
devtools
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
68/100

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