1. A computer-implemented method for optimizing a code section that includes a plurality of instructions, said optimizing being performed prior to performing register allocation for variables referenced in said plurality of instructions, comprising: ascertaining a definition of a variable in a first instruction of said plurality of instructions; ascertaining a first use of said variable in a second instruction of said plurality of instructions, said first instruction dominating said second instruction in said plurality of instructions; replacing a first nop instruction in a third instruction of said plurality of instructions with a definition of a first variant of said variable, said definition of said first variant of said variable and said definition of said variable are identical, said third instruction dominates said second instruction in said plurality of instructions, said first instruction dominates said third instruction in said plurality of instructions; and replacing, in said second instruction, said variable in said first use of said variable with said first variant of said variable.