python / python/cpython

Incorrect code collapse while prompting where the error is.

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stdlib type-bug
Dominant language
Python
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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

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 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

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