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submitted 1 day ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[-] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago
class MyClass:
    def __init__(self, x: int):
        self.whatever: int = x

def foo(x: MyClass) -> int:
    return x.whatevr

Any decent IDE would give you an error for unresolved attribute. Likewise it would warn you of type error if the type of x.whatever didn't match the return type of foo()

[-] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Yes because you used static type annotations. This thread was about code that doesn't use static types (or static type annotations/hints).

[-] [email protected] 1 points 13 hours ago

Nope, don't need to. WebStorm can even detect nonexistent attributes for objects whose format the back-end decides, and tbh I'm not sure what sort of sorcery it uses.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

You're both right. It's possible to write code that gets linted well in Python, yes, but you're often not working with just your code. If a library doesn't use typing properly, not a lot to be done without a ton more effort.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Python doesn't check the types of function headers though. They're only hints for the programmer.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

OP suggested that linters for python won't catch attribute errors, which they 100% will if you use type hints, as you should.

What happens at runtime is really relevant in this case.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 14 hours ago

Linters 100% won't. A static type checker is not a linter.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

I don't want to get into an Internet argument over pedantry. Linter is often used as a catch-all term for static analysis tools.

Wikipedia defines it as

Lint is the computer science term for a static code analysis tool used to flag programming errors, bugs, stylistic errors and suspicious constructs.

Catching type errors and attribute errors would fit under this description, if you use a different, more precise definition at your workplace, cool, then we just have different definitions for it. The point is that your IDE should automatically detect the errors regardless of what you call it.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 13 hours ago

In common usage a linter detects code that is legal but likely a mistake, or code that doesn't follow best practice.

Although static type checkers do fit in that definition, that definition is overly broad and they would not be called a "linter".

Here is how static type checkers describe themselves:

Pyright is a full-featured, standards-based static type checker for Python.

Mypy is a static type checker for Python.

TypeScript is a strongly typed programming language that builds on JavaScript, giving you better tooling at any scale.

Sorbet is a fast, powerful type checker designed for Ruby.

Here is how linters describe themselves:

Pylint is a static code analyser for Python 2 or 3. ... Pylint analyses your code without actually running it. It checks for errors, enforces a coding standard, looks for code smells, and can make suggestions about how the code could be refactored.

(Ok I guess it's a bit redundant for Pylint to say it is a linter.)

Eslint: The pluggable linting utility for JavaScript and JSX

Clippy: A collection of lints to catch common mistakes and improve your Rust code.

Ruff: An extremely fast Python linter and code formatter, written in Rust.

You get the idea... Linters are heuristic and advisory. Quite different to static type checking.

this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2024
814 points (97.3% liked)

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