python / python/mypy

Type narrowing of `target: type[T]` using insinstance seems to fool mypy

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bug topic-type-narrowing
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Bug Report
Well, I was writing some sort of converter from unstructured data to a dataclass, so I had a function that uses f[T](obj, target_type: type[T]) -> T and while in the end I stick to typing.cast for that, I also tried several solutions, they are below.

One of them intuitively should(?) work (return_checktype), but mypy refuses to follow them, and one of them is obviously wrong in hindsight (return_checkval), but mypy is happy with it.

To Reproduce

from typing import reveal_type


def return_checkval[T](target_type: type[T]) -> T:
    # runtime check that target_type is int
    if isinstance(target_type, int):
        reveal_type(target_type)
        return 42  # and they lived happily ever after

    raise ValueError("Unsupported type")


x = return_checkval(int)
print(x)


def return_checktype[T](target_type: type[T]) -> T:
    # runtime check that target_type is int
    if target_type is int:
        reveal_type(target_type)
        return 42  # errors here

    raise ValueError("Unsupported type")


# example test
x = return_checktype(int)
print(x)

Expected Behavior

At the very least, it should have two reveal_type outputs, and it should reject the first function completely. That's what (based)pyright.
Ideally, it should also allow the second function, but (based)pyright also rejects it :(

Actual Behavior

t.py:20: note: Revealed type is "type[T`-1]"
t.py:21: error: Incompatible return value type (got "int", expected "T")  [return-value]
Found 1 error in 1 file (checked 1 source file)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/private/tmp/test/t.py", line 13, in <module>
    x = return_checkval(int)
  File "/private/tmp/test/t.py", line 10, in return_checkval
    raise ValueError("Unsupported type")
ValueError: Unsupported type

Your Environment

mypy version 1.19.1 (compiled yes)
python version .. honestly have no idea which one it uses, but python --version is 3.14
just run it mypy . from the folder in /tmp

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 running the supplied reproducer with mypy 1.19.1 and compare its revealed types and diagnostics with the expected behavior. Trace the type-narrowing path for isinstance(target_type, int) and target_type is int; done means the invalid first function is rejected and the supported narrowing behavior is covered by regression tests.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
compilers, devtools
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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