def notify_by_email(employees: Sequence[Employee],
overrides: Mapping[str, str]) -> None: ...
-Generics can be parameterized by using a new factory available in typing
+Generics can be parameterized by using a factory available in typing
called :class:`TypeVar`.
::
for var in vars:
var.set(0)
-A generic type can have any number of type variables, and type variables may
-be constrained::
+A generic type can have any number of type variables. All varieties of
+:class:`TypeVar` are permissible as parameters for a generic type::
- from typing import TypeVar, Generic
- ...
+ from typing import TypeVar, Generic, Sequence
- T = TypeVar('T')
+ T = TypeVar('T', contravariant=True)
+ B = TypeVar('B', bound=Sequence[bytes], covariant=True)
S = TypeVar('S', int, str)
- class StrangePair(Generic[T, S]):
+ class WeirdTrio(Generic[T, B, S]):
...
Each type variable argument to :class:`Generic` must be distinct.
Usage::
T = TypeVar('T') # Can be anything
- A = TypeVar('A', str, bytes) # Must be str or bytes
+ S = TypeVar('S', bound=str) # Can be any subtype of str
+ A = TypeVar('A', str, bytes) # Must be exactly str or bytes
Type variables exist primarily for the benefit of static type
checkers. They serve as the parameters for generic types as well
"""Return a list containing n references to x."""
return [x]*n
- def longest(x: A, y: A) -> A:
- """Return the longest of two strings."""
- return x if len(x) >= len(y) else y
- The latter example's signature is essentially the overloading
- of ``(str, str) -> str`` and ``(bytes, bytes) -> bytes``. Also note
- that if the arguments are instances of some subclass of :class:`str`,
- the return type is still plain :class:`str`.
+ def print_capitalized(x: S) -> S:
+ """Print x capitalized, and return x."""
+ print(x.capitalize())
+ return x
+
+
+ def concatenate(x: A, y: A) -> A:
+ """Add two strings or bytes objects together."""
+ return x + y
+
+ Note that type variables can be *bound*, *constrained*, or neither, but
+ cannot be both bound *and* constrained.
+
+ Constrained type variables and bound type variables have different
+ semantics in several important ways. Using a *constrained* type variable
+ means that the ``TypeVar`` can only ever be solved as being exactly one of
+ the constraints given::
+
+ a = concatenate('one', 'two') # Ok, variable 'a' has type 'str'
+ b = concatenate(StringSubclass('one'), StringSubclass('two')) # Inferred type of variable 'b' is 'str',
+ # despite 'StringSubclass' being passed in
+ c = concatenate('one', b'two') # error: type variable 'A' can be either 'str' or 'bytes' in a function call, but not both
+
+ Using a *bound* type variable, however, means that the ``TypeVar`` will be
+ solved using the most specific type possible::
+
+ print_capitalized('a string') # Ok, output has type 'str'
+
+ class StringSubclass(str):
+ pass
+
+ print_capitalized(StringSubclass('another string')) # Ok, output has type 'StringSubclass'
+ print_capitalized(45) # error: int is not a subtype of str
+
+ Type variables can be bound to concrete types, abstract types (ABCs or
+ protocols), and even unions of types::
+
+ U = TypeVar('U', bound=str|bytes) # Can be any subtype of the union str|bytes
+ V = TypeVar('V', bound=SupportsAbs) # Can be anything with an __abs__ method
+
+ Bound type variables are particularly useful for annotating
+ :func:`classmethods <classmethod>` that serve as alternative constructors.
+ In the following example (©
+ `Raymond Hettinger <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTLu2DFOdTg>`_), the
+ type variable ``C`` is bound to the ``Circle`` class through the use of a
+ forward reference. Using this type variable to annotate the
+ ``with_circumference`` classmethod, rather than hardcoding the return type
+ as ``Circle``, means that a type checker can correctly infer the return
+ type even if the method is called on a subclass::
+
+ import math
+
+ C = TypeVar('C', bound='Circle')
+
+ class Circle:
+ """An abstract circle"""
+
+ def __init__(self, radius: float) -> None:
+ self.radius = radius
+
+ # Use a type variable to show that the return type
+ # will always be an instance of whatever `cls` is
+ @classmethod
+ def with_circumference(cls: type[C], circumference: float) -> C:
+ """Create a circle with the specified circumference"""
+ radius = circumference / (math.pi * 2)
+ return cls(radius)
+
+
+ class Tire(Circle):
+ """A specialised circle (made out of rubber)"""
+
+ MATERIAL = 'rubber'
+
+
+ c = Circle.with_circumference(3) # Ok, variable 'c' has type 'Circle'
+ t = Tire.with_circumference(4) # Ok, variable 't' has type 'Tire' (not 'Circle')
At runtime, ``isinstance(x, T)`` will raise :exc:`TypeError`. In general,
:func:`isinstance` and :func:`issubclass` should not be used with types.
Type variables may be marked covariant or contravariant by passing
``covariant=True`` or ``contravariant=True``. See :pep:`484` for more
- details. By default type variables are invariant. Alternatively,
- a type variable may specify an upper bound using ``bound=<type>``.
- This means that an actual type substituted (explicitly or implicitly)
- for the type variable must be a subclass of the boundary type,
- see :pep:`484`.
+ details. By default, type variables are invariant.
.. data:: AnyStr
- ``AnyStr`` is a type variable defined as
+ ``AnyStr`` is a :class:`constrained type variable <TypeVar>` defined as
``AnyStr = TypeVar('AnyStr', str, bytes)``.
It is meant to be used for functions that may accept any kind of string