Add "Modernizing Obsolete Typing Features" guide

docs/source/guides.rst

@@ -8,5 +8,6 @@ Type System Guides
 
    libraries
    writing_stubs
+   modernizing
    unreachable
    typing_anti_pitch

docs/source/modernizing.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,319 @@
+.. role:: python(code)
+   :language: python
+
+.. role:: t-ext(class)
+
+.. _modernizing:
+
+************************************
+Modernizing Obsolete Typing Features
+************************************
+
+Introduction
+============
+
+This guide helps to modernize your code by replacing older typing features
+with their modern equivalents. Not all features described here are obsolete,
+but they superseded by more modern alternatives, that are recommended to use.
+
+These newer features are not available in all Python versions, although
+some features are available as backports from the
+`typing-extensions <https://pypi.org/project/typing-extensions/>`_
+package, or require quoting or using :python:`from __future__ import annotations`.
+Each section states the minimum Python version required to use the
+feature, whether it is available in typing-extensions, and whether it is
+available using quoting.
+
+.. note::
+
+    The latest version of typing-extensions is available for all Python
+    versions that have not reached their end of life, but not necessarily for
+    older versions.
+
+.. note::
+
+    :python:`from __future__ import annotations` is available since Python 3.7.
+    This will only work inside type annotations, while quoting is still
+    required outside. For example, this example runs on Python 3.7 and up,
+    although the pipe operator was only introduced in Python 3.10::
+
+        from __future__ import annotations
+        from typing_extensions import TypeAlias
+
+        def f(x: int | None) -> int | str: ...  # the future import is sufficient
+        Alias: TypeAlias = "int | str"  # this requires quoting
+
+.. _modernizing-type-comments:
+
+Type Comments
+=============
+
+*Alternative available since:* Python 3.0, 3.6
+
+Type comments were originally introduced to support type annotations in
+Python 2 and variable annotations before Python 3.6. While most type checkers
+still support them, they are considered obsolete, and type checkers are
+not required to support them.
+
+For example, replace::
+
+    x = 3  # type: int
+    def f(x, y):  # type: (int, int) -> int
+        return x + y
+
+with::
+
+    x: int = 3
+    def f(x: int, y: int) -> int:
+        return x + y
+
+When using forward references or types only available during type checking,
+it's necessary to either use :python:`from __future__ import annotations`
+(available since Python 3.7) or to quote the type::
+
+    def f(x: "Parrot") -> int: ...
+
+    class Parrot: ...
+
+.. _modernizing-typing-text:
+
+``typing.Text``
+===============
+
+*Alternative available since:* Python 3.0
+
+:class:`typing.Text` was a type alias intended for Python 2 compatibility.
+It is equivalent to :class:`str` and should be replaced with it.
+For example, replace::
+
+    from typing import Text
+
+    def f(x: Text) -> Text: ...
+
+with::
+
+    def f(x: str) -> str: ...
+
+.. _modernizing-typed-dict:
+
+``typing.TypedDict`` Legacy Forms
+=================================
+
+*Alternative available since:* Python 3.6
+
+:class:`TypedDict <typing.TypedDict>` supports two legacy forms for
+supporting Python versions that don't support variable annotations.
+Replace these two variants::
+
+    from typing import TypedDict
+
+    FlyingSaucer = TypedDict("FlyingSaucer", {"x": int, "y": str})
+    FlyingSaucer = TypedDict("FlyingSaucer", x=int, y=str)
+
+with::
+
+    class FlyingSaucer(TypedDict):
+        x: int
+        y: str
+
+.. _modernizing-generics:
+
+Generics in the ``typing`` Module
+=================================
+
+*Alternative available since:* Python 3.0 (quoted), Python 3.9, 3.12 (unquoted)
+
+Originally, the :mod:`typing` module provided aliases for built-in types that
+accepted type parameters. Since Python 3.9, these aliases are no longer
+necessary, and can be replaced with the built-in types. For example,
+replace::
+
+    from typing import Dict, List
+
+    def f(x: List[int]) -> Dict[str, int]: ...
+
+with::
+
+    def f(x: list[int]) -> dict[str, int]: ...
+
+This affects the following types:
+
+* :class:`typing.Dict` (→ :class:`dict`)
+* :class:`typing.FrozenSet` (→ :class:`frozenset`)
+* :class:`typing.List` (→ :class:`list`)
+* :class:`typing.Set` (→ :class:`set`)
+* :data:`typing.Tuple` (→ :class:`tuple`)
+
+The :mod:`typing` module also provided aliases for certain standard library
+types that accepted type parameters. Since Python 3.9, these aliases are no
+longer necessary, and can be replaced with the proper types. For example,
+replace::
+
+    from typing import DefaultDict, Pattern
+
+    def f(x: Pattern[str]) -> DefaultDict[str, int]: ...
+
+with::
+
+    from collections import defaultdict
+    from re import Pattern
+
+    def f(x: Pattern[str]) -> defaultdict[str, int]: ...
+
+This affects the following types:
+
+* :class:`typing.Deque` (→ :class:`collections.deque`)
+* :class:`typing.DefaultDict` (→ :class:`collections.defaultdict`)
+* :class:`typing.OrderedDict` (→ :class:`collections.OrderedDict`)
+* :class:`typing.Counter` (→ :class:`collections.Counter`)
+* :class:`typing.ChainMap` (→ :class:`collections.ChainMap`)
+* :class:`typing.Awaitable` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Awaitable`)
+* :class:`typing.Coroutine` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Coroutine`)
+* :class:`typing.AsyncIterable` (→ :class:`collections.abc.AsyncIterable`)
+* :class:`typing.AsyncIterator` (→ :class:`collections.abc.AsyncIterator`)
+* :class:`typing.AsyncGenerator` (→ :class:`collections.abc.AsyncGenerator`)
+* :class:`typing.Iterable` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Iterable`)
+* :class:`typing.Iterator` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Iterator`)
+* :class:`typing.Generator` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Generator`)
+* :class:`typing.Reversible` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Reversible`)
+* :class:`typing.Container` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Container`)
+* :class:`typing.Collection` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Collection`)
+* :data:`typing.Callable` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Callable`)
+* :class:`typing.AbstractSet` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Set`)
+* :class:`typing.MutableSet` (→ :class:`collections.abc.MutableSet`)
+* :class:`typing.Mapping` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Mapping`)
+* :class:`typing.MutableMapping` (→ :class:`collections.abc.MutableMapping`)
+* :class:`typing.Sequence` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Sequence`)
+* :class:`typing.MutableSequence` (→ :class:`collections.abc.MutableSequence`)
+* :class:`typing.ByteString` (→ :class:`collections.abc.ByteString`), but see :ref:`modernizing-byte-string`
+* :class:`typing.MappingView` (→ :class:`collections.abc.MappingView`)
+* :class:`typing.KeysView` (→ :class:`collections.abc.KeysView`)
+* :class:`typing.ItemsView` (→ :class:`collections.abc.ItemsView`)
+* :class:`typing.ValuesView` (→ :class:`collections.abc.ValuesView`)
+* :class:`typing.ContextManager` (→ :class:`contextlib.AbstractContextManager`)
+* :class:`typing.AsyncContextManager` (→ :class:`contextlib.AbstractAsyncContextManager`)
+* :class:`typing.Pattern` (→ :class:`re.Pattern`)
+* :class:`typing.Match` (→ :class:`re.Match`)
+
+The following types were made generic in Python 3.12:
+
+* :class:`typing.Hashable` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Hashable`)
+* :class:`typing.Sized` (→ :class:`collections.abc.Sized`)
+
+.. _modernizing-union:
+
+``typing.Union`` and ``typing.Optional``
+========================================
+
+*Alternative available since:* Python 3.0 (quoted), Python 3.10 (unquoted)
+
+While :data:`Union <typing.Union>` and :data:`Optional <typing.Optional>` are
+not considered obsolete, using the ``|`` (pipe) operator is often more
+readable. :python:`Union[X, Y]` is equivalent to :python:`X | Y`, while
+:python:`Optional[X]` is equivalent to :python:`X | None`.
+
+For example, replace::
+
+    from typing import Optional, Union
+
+    def f(x: Optional[int]) -> Union[int, str]: ...
+
+with::
+
+    def f(x: int | None) -> int | str: ...
+
+.. _modernizing-no-return:
+
+``typing.NoReturn``
+===================
+
+*Alternative available since:* Python 3.11, typing-extensions
+
+Python 3.11 introduced :data:`typing.Never` as an alias to
+:data:`typing.NoReturn` for use in annotations that are not
+return types. For example, replace::
+
+    from typing import NoReturn
+
+    def f(x: int, y: NoReturn) -> None: ...
+
+with::
+
+    from typing import Never  # or typing_extensions.Never
+
+    def f(x: int, y: Never) -> None: ...
+
+But keep ``NoReturn`` for return types::
+
+    from typing import NoReturn
+
+    def f(x: int) -> NoReturn: ...
+
+.. _modernizing-type-aliases:
+
+Type Aliases
+============
+
+*Alternative available since:* Python 3.12 (keyword); Python 3.10, typing-extensions
+
+Originally, type aliases were defined using a simple assignment::
+
+    IntList = list[int]
+
+Python 3.12 introduced the :keyword:`type` keyword to define type aliases::
+
+    type IntList = list[int]
+
+Code supporting older Python versions should use
+:data:`TypeAlias <typing.TypeAlias>`, introduced in Python 3.10, but also
+available in typing-extensions, instead::
+
+    from typing import TypeAlias  # or typing_extensions.TypeAlias
+
+    IntList: TypeAlias = list[int]
+
+.. _modernizing-user-generics:
+
+User Defined Generics
+=====================
+
+*Alternative available since:* Python 3.12
+
+Python 3.12 introduced new syntax for defining generic classes. Previously,
+generic classes had to derive from :class:`typing.Generic` (or another
+generic class) and defined the type variable using :class:`typing.TypeVar`.
+For example::
+
+    from typing import Generic, TypeVar
+
+    T = TypeVar("T")
+
+    class Brian(Generic[T]): ...
+    class Reg(int, Generic[T]): ...
+
+Starting with Python 3.12, the type variable doesn't need to be declared
+using ``TypeVar``, and instead of deriving the class from ``Generic``, the
+following syntax can be used::
+
+    class Brian[T]: ...
+    class Reg[T](int): ...
+
+.. _modernizing-byte-string:
+
+``typing.ByteString``
+=====================
+
+*Alternative available since:* Python 3.0; Python 3.12, typing-extensions
+
+:class:`ByteString <typing.ByteString>` was originally intended to be a type
+alias for "byte-like" types, i.e. :class:`bytes`, :class:`bytearray`, and
+:class:`memoryview`. In practice, this
+is seldom exactly what is needed. Use one of these alternatives instead:
+
+* Just :class:`bytes` is often sufficient, especially when not declaring
+  a public API.
+* For items that accept any type that supports the
+  :ref:`buffer protocol <bufferobjects>`, use :class:`collections.abc.Buffer`
+  (available since Python 3.12) or :t-ext:`typing_extensions.Buffer`.
+* Otherwise, use a union of :class:`bytes`, :class:`bytearray`,
+  :class:`memoryview`, and/or any other types that are accepted.