From 4f151e97773a0268d58491f9a73722e35d1a20ce Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Rebecca Chen <rechen@google.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2024 16:44:55 -0800
Subject: [PATCH] PEP 696: consolidate discussion of constraint solving in
 "Function Defaults" section, add new "Subtyping" section (#3648)

* PEP 696: consolidate discussion of constraint solving.

Consolidates discussion of usage of defaults in constraint solving in
the "Function Defaults" section, to make it clear that this is
experimental and unspecified.

* PEP 696: Explicitly call out that defaults do not affect subtyping.
---
 peps/pep-0696.rst | 30 +++++++++++++++++++++---------
 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)

diff --git a/peps/pep-0696.rst b/peps/pep-0696.rst
index 4b0b22e1a..1b940562c 100644
--- a/peps/pep-0696.rst
+++ b/peps/pep-0696.rst
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ Abstract
 
 This PEP introduces the concept of type defaults for type parameters,
 including ``TypeVar``, ``ParamSpec``, and ``TypeVarTuple``,
-which act as defaults for a type parameter when one is not specified or
-the constraint solver isn't able to solve a type parameter to anything.
+which act as defaults for type parameters for which no type is specified.
 
 Default type argument support is available in some popular languages
 such as C++, TypeScript, and Rust. A survey of type parameter syntax in
@@ -182,8 +181,7 @@ or another in-scope ``TypeVarTuple`` (see `Scoping Rules`_).
 Using Another Type Parameter as ``default``
 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
 
-This allows for a value to be used again when the constraints solver
-fails to solve a constraint for a type, or the type parameter to a
+This allows for a value to be used again when the type parameter to a
 generic is missing but another type parameter is specified.
 
 To use another type parameter as a default the ``default`` and the
@@ -373,11 +371,18 @@ subtype of one of the constraints.
 Function Defaults
 '''''''''''''''''
 
-We leave the semantics of type parameter defaults in generic functions
-unspecified, as ensuring the ``default`` is returned in every code path
-where the type parameter can go unsolved may be too hard to implement.
-Type checkers are free to either disallow this case or experiment with
-implementing support.
+In generic functions, type checkers may use a type parameter's default when the
+type parameter cannot be solved to anything. We leave the semantics of this
+usage unspecified, as ensuring the ``default`` is returned in every code path
+where the type parameter can go unsolved may be too hard to implement. Type
+checkers are free to either disallow this case or experiment with implementing
+support.
+
+::
+
+   T = TypeVar('T', default=int)
+   def func(x: int | set[T]) -> T: ...
+   reveal_type(func(0))  # a type checker may reveal T's default of int here
 
 Defaults following ``TypeVarTuple``
 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
@@ -413,6 +418,13 @@ for the ``ParamSpec`` and one for the ``TypeVarTuple``.
    Foo[int, str]  # Ts = (int, str), P = [float, bool]
    Foo[int, str, [bytes]]  # Ts = (int, str), P = [bytes]
 
+Subtyping
+'''''''''
+
+Type parameter defaults do not affect the subtyping rules for generic classes.
+In particular, defaults can be ignored when considering whether a class is
+compatible with a generic protocol.
+
 ``TypeVarTuple``\ s as Defaults
 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''