Incorrect code collapse while prompting where the error is.
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Description
Bug report
Bug description:
Read the following code:
# incorrect_collapse.py
def fib(number: int) -> int:
assert number > 0
if number == 1:
return 1
return fib(number - 1) + fib(number - 2) # Notice here
print(fib(2))
There is a mistake in the code above, so if you try to run it, you will get the following traceback:
PC-Killer@ArchLinuxPC ~/p/bugs> python incorrect_collapse.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/home/PC-Killer/python_work/bugs/incorrect_collapse.py", line 9, in <module>
print(fib(2))
~~~^^^
File "/home/PC-Killer/python_work/bugs/incorrect_collapse.py", line 6, in fib
return fib(number - 1) + fib(number - 2) # Notice here
~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/home/PC-Killer/python_work/bugs/incorrect_collapse.py", line 2, in fib
assert number > 0
^^^^^^^^^^
AssertionError
Notice that the error happened while running the code fib(number - 2).
However, if the number is 5, the duplicate code will be automatically collapsed:
# incorrect_collapse.py
def fib(number: int) -> int:
assert number > 0
if number == 1:
return 1
return fib(number - 1) + fib(number - 2) # Notice here
print(fib(5))
PC-Killer@ArchLinuxPC ~/p/bugs [1]> python incorrect_collapse.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/home/PC-Killer/python_work/bugs/incorrect_collapse.py", line 9, in <module>
print(fib(5))
~~~^^^
File "/home/PC-Killer/python_work/bugs/incorrect_collapse.py", line 6, in fib
return fib(number - 1) + fib(number - 2) # Notice here
~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/home/PC-Killer/python_work/bugs/incorrect_collapse.py", line 6, in fib
return fib(number - 1) + fib(number - 2) # Notice here
~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/home/PC-Killer/python_work/bugs/incorrect_collapse.py", line 6, in fib
return fib(number - 1) + fib(number - 2) # Notice here
~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^
[Previous line repeated 1 more time]
File "/home/PC-Killer/python_work/bugs/incorrect_collapse.py", line 2, in fib
assert number > 0
^^^^^^^^^^
AssertionError
The error happened in fib(number - 2). However, in the traceback above, I can only suppose the error happened while running fib(number - 1), which increases the time to find where the real bug is.
CPython versions tested on:
3.13, 3.14
Operating systems tested on:
Linux
Linked PRs
- gh-129973
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by reproducing the traceback-collapse behavior with the two Fibonacci examples in the issue on CPython 3.13 or 3.14, then inspect the traceback formatting and frame-collapsing entry points. Compare the collapsed output with the uncropped traceback and the linked PR gh-129973; done means the failing expression remains distinguishable after repeated frames are collapsed.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- developer-experience
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 20/100