python / python/mypy

Union subtyping doesn't work with covariant type constructors Tuple and Callable

Open
#7,187 6 comments 10 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

Nobody has claimed this yet.

bug false-positive priority-0-high topic-union-types
Dominant language
Python
Stars
20.6k
Forks
3.3k
PR merge metrics
PR metrics pending

Description

Both calls in this code fail, but I think they should be allowed:

from typing import Callable, Union, Tuple

def f(x: Union[Callable[..., int], Callable[..., str]]) -> None: ...
x: Callable[..., Union[int, str]]
f(x)

def g(y: Union[Tuple[int], Tuple[str]]) -> None: ...
y: Tuple[Union[int, str]]
g(y)

Moreover, I would say types in each pair are actually equivalent.

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 both failing calls from the issue in mypy. The payload names no source file or test entry point, so locating the union-subtyping and covariant-constructor logic will require exploring the type-checker implementation. Done means both calls are accepted with the stated types without weakening unrelated type checks.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
compilers, devtools
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
35/100

Get new issues in your inbox

A short digest of beginner-friendly GitHub issues.