“Cannot infer type of lambda” using default parameter to recapture loop variable
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Description
Bug Report
One of the most common gotchas in Python is that a loop reassigns its iteration variable rather than creating a new binding for each iteration, and a lambda closure created in the loop observes this reassigned value rather than the value from each iteration. A typical workaround is to add a “redundant” default parameter to the lambda to recapture the value from each iteration—for example, the i=i from the above link (reproduced below). But mypy rejects such a lambda with error: Cannot infer type of lambda [misc].
To Reproduce
from typing import Callable
def create_multipliers() -> list[Callable[[int], int]]:
return [lambda x, i=i: i * x for i in range(5)]
Expected Behavior
mypy ought to be able to realize that since the lambda is coerced to Callable[[int], int], its second parameter i=i can only ever receive the default value, so its type should be successfully inferred as (x: int, i: int = ...) -> int.
Actual Behavior
main.py:4: error: Cannot infer type of lambda [misc]
Found 1 error in 1 file (checked 1 source file)
Your Environment
- Mypy version used: 1.3.0
- Mypy command-line flags: none
- Mypy configuration options from
mypy.ini(and other config files): none - Python version used: 3.11.3
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 running the main.py reproduction with mypy and reviewing how lambda parameter and default-expression types are inferred for the Callable[[int], int] context. Trace the relevant type-inference entry point and add a regression test for the example; done means mypy accepts the code without Cannot infer type of lambda while preserving the inferred callable signature.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- devtools
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100