Description

hyperkai

opened on May 4, 2025

Issue body actions

Bug report

Bug description:

Setting the same name parameters gets the error message saying duplicate argument as shown below:

def func(param, param):
    pass

SyntaxError: duplicate argument 'param' in function definition

Setting * after all the parameters gets the error message saying at least one argument as shown below:

def func(param1, param2, *):
    pass

SyntaxError: named arguments must follow bare *

So, argument should be replaced with parameter as shown below:

SyntaxError: duplicate parameter 'param' in function definition

SyntaxError: named parameters must follow bare *

*You can also see this issue.

CPython versions tested on:

3.12

Operating systems tested on:

Linux

Linked PRs

• gh-133379: Correct usage of arguments in error messages #133382

Activity

1. hyperkai

   added

   type-bugAn unexpected behavior, bug, or errorAn unexpected behavior, bug, or error

   on May 4, 2025
2. picnixz

   added

   stdlibStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directoryStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directory

   interpreter-core(Objects, Python, Grammar, and Parser dirs)(Objects, Python, Grammar, and Parser dirs)

   and removed

   stdlibStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directoryStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directory

   on May 4, 2025
3. picnixz commented on May 4, 2025

   

   picnixz

   on May 4, 2025

   Member

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   Formally speaking, here we indeed need to use "parameter" and not "argument". However, we only change error messages in the latest version to reduce breakage possibilities (thus, I don't think we'll backport this)

   Reacted by Peter Bierma
4. picnixz

   added

   topic-parser

   on May 4, 2025
5. picnixz

   marked * parameter's error messages say argument instead of parameter #133436 as a duplicate of this issue on May 9, 2025
6. serhiy-storchaka

   added a commit that references this issue on May 10, 2025

   gh-133379: Fix misuse of the term "arguments" in error messages (GH-1…

   dbca27c
7. serhiy-storchaka

   added

   3.15bugs and security fixesbugs and security fixes

   on May 10, 2025
8. serhiy-storchaka commented on May 10, 2025

   

   serhiy-storchaka

   on May 10, 2025

   Member

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   Thank you for your report, @hyperkai. It's amazing how long we ignored this mistake.

   Thank you for your PR, @StanFromIreland.

   Reacted by Stan Ulbrych
9. serhiy-storchaka

   closed this as completedon May 10, 2025
10. hyperkai commented on May 11, 2025

    

    hyperkai

    on May 11, 2025

    ContributorAuthor

    More actions

    There are other error messages using argument instead of parameter as shown below:

    def func(*args1, *args2): pass
    # SyntaxError: * argument may appear only once
    
    def func(**kwargs, *args): pass
    # SyntaxError: arguments cannot follow var-keyword argument
    
    def func(*args=["John"]): pass
    # SyntaxError: var-positional argument cannot have default value
    
    def func(**kwargs={"name":"John"}): pass
    # SyntaxError: var-keyword argument cannot have default value
11. StanFromIreland commented on May 11, 2025

    

    StanFromIreland

    on May 11, 2025

    Member

    More actions

    You need to pull the latest commits and build again.
12. Pranjal095

    added a commit that references this issue on Jul 12, 2025

    pythongh-133379: Fix misuse of the term "arguments" in error messages (…

    332d44c
13. taegyunkim

    added a commit that references this issue on Aug 4, 2025

    pythongh-133379: Fix misuse of the term "arguments" in error messages (…

    3e82f21

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