User customizable compiler attributes for code optimization

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a processing device to perform operations comprising:

• accessing a source code comprising a compiler attribute, wherein the compiler attribute is defined by text in the source code;
• detecting a call in the source code to a first compiler function identified by function name in the source code that assigns a value to the compiler attribute in association with a variable declared in the source code, wherein the source code includes logic to process the compiler attribute;
• executing a second compiler function identified by function name in the source code at compile time to return a function result based on the value of the compiler attribute associated with the variable, wherein the compiler uses the logic to process the compiler attribute and, based on the function result generates an executable code segment that is a different executable code segment than would be generated based on a different value of the compiler attribute.