python / python/typing

Add decorator to mark class as concrete / instantiable

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topic: feature
Dominant language
Python
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Description

We have the @final decorator to mark a class as final, so that it cannot be subclassed. Typecheckers can then cue off of this to raise an error when there are unimplemented abstract methods (e.g. the Ty abstract-method-in-final-class rule).

Similarly, Pyright and Ty can flag errors when other code instantiates a class that has abstract methods.

However, I would find it very useful to be able to mark a class as concrete: it isn't final (someone might subclass it), but it is intended to be instantiable. This would allow the type checker to raise abstract method errors at the point of class definition, rather than elsewhere in the code where the class is instantiated. For classes that are instantiated directly, the error location isn't a huge problem; for classes that are primarily instantiated indirectly, however, it there is no guarantee that the code will include a direct instantiation of the class to raise an error.

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  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 reviewing the proposal alongside the existing @final decorator and the abstract-method behavior described for Pyright and Ty. Define the concrete-class decorator's intended type-checking semantics and confirm that errors are reported at class definition time for classes with abstract methods, without making the class final.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
devtools
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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