Invalid type mismatch error is given when passing along optional `shape` from one function to another

[pouwelsjochem]

Environment

Name	Version
IDEA version	2022.3.1
Luanalysis version	1.4.0
OS	MacOS

Lua

Name	Setting
Language level	5.2

Type Safety

Name	Setting
Strict nil checks	❎
Unknown type (any) is indexable	☑️
Unknown type (any) is callabale	☑️

What are the steps to reproduce this issue?

---@shape MyShape
---@class MyClass

---@param _shape? MyShape
local function acceptOptionalShape1(_shape) end
---@param _shape? MyShape
local function acceptOptionalShape2(_shape)
    acceptOptionalShape1(_shape)
end

---@param _string? string
local function acceptOptionalString1(_string) end
---@param _string? string
local function acceptOptionalString2(_string)
    acceptOptionalString1(_string)
end

---@param _class? MyClass
local function acceptOptionalNillableClass1(_class) end
---@param _class? MyClass
local function acceptOptionalNillableClass2(_class)
    acceptOptionalNillableClass1(_class)
end

---@param _shape? nil|MyShape
local function acceptOptionalNillableShape1(_shape) end
---@param _shape? MyShape
local function acceptOptionalNillableShape2(_shape)
    acceptOptionalNillableShape1(_shape)
end

What happens?

When passing along an optional @shape from one function to another there's a Type mismatch. Required: 'MyShape' Found: 'MyShape | nil' message. This doesn't happen when the optional param is a literal like string, also doesn't happen when the optional param is a @class. It does also happen when the @shape is defined with the {key:type} format.

What were you expecting to happen?

No error to be given when passing along optional shapes.

[Sebastian Stern]

I'd like to add that it's not specific to shapes and I have the same thing happen for base types like number or string:

---@param p? number
local function acceptOptional(p) end

---@param p? number
local function callee(p)
  acceptOptional(p)
end

Results in

Type mismatch. Required: 'number' Found: 'nil | number'

At the call of acceptOptional.

The error doesn't happen when called function takes a parameter of type nil | number instead:

---@param p nil | number
local function acceptOptional(p) end

[Benjamin Dobell]

Sorry, I missed this issue until @Sebaestschjin commented. There should be no difference in this behaviour between shapes, classes and primitives. Assuming there is no such difference, then this behaviour is definitely intended. This behaviour and the motivation is documented at https://github.com/Benjamin-Dobell/IntelliJ-Luanalysis#support-for-optional-parameters

I.e. optional does not mean nil | type. Instead it means the parameter itself may be omitted. You can of course combine the two if that is the desired behaviour. But the distinction between the absence of a parameter and presence of a parameter that is nil is very important as function implementations may wish (or in the case of bindings, perhaps need) to depend on the number of parameters passed.

[pouwelsjochem]

I agree Luanalysis should keep absence of a param and a nillable param separated. Did some more testing and found out that the distinction between the shape parameter and other parameters only occurs if 'Strict nil checks' is disabled. When enabled it does indeed work like you described.

Going to use 'Strict nil checks' from now on :)