gh-146239: Add cross-language method suggestions to AttributeError messages#146240
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mvanhorn wants to merge 2 commits intopython:mainfrom
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gh-146239: Add cross-language method suggestions to AttributeError messages#146240mvanhorn wants to merge 2 commits intopython:mainfrom
mvanhorn wants to merge 2 commits intopython:mainfrom
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…ror messages (python#146239) When an attribute name from another programming language is used on a builtin type (e.g., list.push from JavaScript, str.toUpperCase from Java), Python now suggests the equivalent Python method (e.g., append, upper). This runs as a fallback after the existing Levenshtein-based suggestion matching.
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Summary
When an attribute name from another programming language is used on a builtin type, Python now suggests the equivalent Python method as a fallback after the existing Levenshtein-based suggestion matching.
Why this matters
Python's Levenshtein-based error suggestions work well for typos (
items.appnd->append) but miss cross-language method confusion, where developers use method names from JavaScript, Java, C#, or Ruby that are too different for edit distance to catch.Before/after examples:
[1,2,3].push(4)no attribute 'push'(no suggestion)Did you mean '.append'?"hello".toUpperCase()no attribute 'toUpperCase'(no suggestion)Did you mean '.upper'?"hello".trim()no attribute 'trim'(no suggestion)Did you mean '.strip'?{"a": 1}.keySet()no attribute 'keySet'(no suggestion)Did you mean '.keys'?{"a": 1}.entrySet()no attribute 'entrySet'(no suggestion)Did you mean '.items'?This fits within the ongoing work to improve Python's error messages (#146171, #145241).
Changes
_CROSS_LANGUAGE_ATTR_HINTStable inLib/traceback.pymapping common method names from JS/Java/C#/Ruby to Python equivalents forlist,str, anddict_check_cross_language_hint()function that checks exact builtin type (not subclasses) to avoid false positives_compute_suggestion_error()as a fallback after Levenshtein and nested attribute checksDesign decisions:
list,str,dictare matched, not subclasses. ACustomListwith intentionally different methods won't get false suggestions.Testing
Lib/test/test_traceback.pycovering direct method equivalents for all three types, subclass exclusion, and unknown attribute handling.Fixes #146239
This contribution was developed with AI assistance (Claude Code).