python / python/mypy

Duplicate keys cause earlier TypedDict values to be skipped during type checking

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bug topic-typed-dict
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Bug Report

When a dictionary literal used to construct a TypedDict contains duplicate
keys, mypy only type-checks the final value for that key. Earlier value
expressions are skipped entirely.

This can hide real errors because Python still evaluates every value expression
in the dictionary literal, including values that are later overwritten by a
duplicate key.

To Reproduce

from typing import TypedDict


class Payload(TypedDict):
    value: int


def parse(value: str) -> int:
    return len(value)


payload = Payload({"value": parse(123), "value": 0})
$ mypy --show-error-codes --no-incremental example.py
Success: no issues found in 1 source file

Running the program demonstrates that the skipped expression is evaluated:

TypeError: object of type 'int' has no len()

Expected Behavior

Mypy should type-check every value expression in the dictionary literal, even
if a later duplicate key determines the final value of the TypedDict field.
In this example, it should report an error similar to:

error: Argument 1 to "parse" has incompatible type "int"; expected "str"  [arg-type]

The same expression is correctly rejected when the target is a regular
dict[str, int]. The issue also occurs with a contextually typed literal:

payload: Payload = {"value": parse(123), "value": 0}

Actual Behavior

Mypy reports no issues because only the last value associated with the
duplicate key is checked.

Additional Context

The current implementation replaces the previously collected expression
without type-checking it and has a TODO to type-check all duplicate-key values:

https://github.com/python/mypy/blob/6eb141f03a8b43c274f15cc4978d617a71d8f37e/mypy/checkexpr.py#L839-L842

PR #15425 also mentioned repeated TypedDict keys as a known limitation, but I
could not find an existing issue that tracks it:

https://github.com/python/mypy/pull/15425

Environment Used to Reproduce

  • Mypy versions used:
    • mypy 2.3.0 (compiled: yes)
    • mypy 2.4.0+dev.6eb141f03a8b43c274f15cc4978d617a71d8f37e (compiled: no)
  • Mypy command-line flags: --show-error-codes --no-incremental
  • Mypy configuration options: none
  • Python version used: 3.12.8

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 at mypy/checkexpr.py around lines 839-842 and reproduce the issue with example.py using the provided mypy command. Trace how duplicate TypedDict keys replace earlier expressions; done means every value expression is type-checked and the parse(123) case reports the expected arg-type error.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
compilers
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
74/100

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