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Add inspect.signature support for more builtins #107161

Description

@Dutcho

Feature or enhancement

Like mentioned before for datetime classes, inspect.signature() also fails on many classes (and some functions) in builtins. However, this is not universal behaviour, as inspect.signature() works well with some classes (and most functions) in builtins.
The functions and classes in builtins that inspect.signature() supports have a str __text_signature__ pseudo-attribute, e.g.:

>>> divmod.__text_signature__
'($module, x, y, /)'
>>> complex.__text_signature__
'(real=0, imag=0)'

The proposed enhancement is to add the same __text_signature__ to others:

  • Functions: anext, breakpoint, dir, getattr, iter, max, min, next, vars
  • Classes: bool, filter, int, map, range, slice, str, and many more, incl. all Exception classes

Pitch

This addition will help consistency and avoid confusion and the need for special-casing.

Example

I ran into this when coding an arity() function using inspect.signature().parameters. My arity() works e.g. for float and complex, but fails for int, which was unexpected and confusing.

Beneficial side-effect

Likely, this will also improve help() output, e.g.

>>> help(iter)
iter(...)  <<< signature missing
    Get an iterator from an object.

Already available

This might seem challenging for some of the builtins functions and classes that have multiple signatures (e.g. iter(iterable) next to iter(callable, sentinel)). However, these are already available in the typeshed stub file, builtins.pyi.

Activity

  1. changed the title [-]Add inspect.signature support for builtins[/-] [+]Add inspect.signature support for more builtins[/+] on Jul 23, 2023
  2. added
    stdlibStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directory
    on Nov 27, 2023
  3. za3k commented on Mar 1, 2025

    @za3k

    A small update for python 3.13.1 and a more exhaustive list:

    inspect.signature fails on the following builtins: anext, bytearray, bytes, dict, dir, getattr, int, iter, max, min, next, range, slice, str, super, type, vars

    As well as all error types, which are callable.

    import inspect
    
    failing = []
    for k in dir(__builtins__):
        v = eval(k)
        if not hasattr(v, "__call__"):
            continue
        try:
            sig = inspect.signature(v)
        except:
            failing.append(k)
    
    print(failing)
    
  4. skirpichev commented on Mar 1, 2025

    @skirpichev
    Member

    For exception types: #111405

    For mentioned above builtins we can't do anything, until #73536 will be solved.

  5. Dutcho commented on Mar 12, 2025

    @Dutcho
    Author

    It looks #73536 can be solved by multi-signatures. What's required for it to be resolved?

    And for #111405, brian030128 wanted to work on that. Don't know if it ever matured?

  6. self-assigned this
    on Mar 13, 2025
  7. removed their assignment
    on Apr 5, 2025
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    interpreter-core(Objects, Python, Grammar, and Parser dirs)stdlibStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directorytype-featureA feature request or enhancement

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