[whalesalad]

> Even since the start of python typing, it was recommended to use a more generic type like Iterable instead of List. The author claims that List is too specific

These statements contradict themselves? List is too specific, and Sequence[item] is preferred. Sometimes you are dealing with a tuple, or a generator, and so it makes more sense to annotate that it is a generic iterable versus a concrete list.

[jerrygenser]

From the original article:

> For example, you basically never care whether something is exactly of type list, you care about things like whether you can iterate over it or index into it. Yet the Python type-annotation ecosystem was strongly oriented around nominal typing (i.e., caring that something is exactly a list) from the beginning.

I'm saying that this quote is a straw man and that contrary to what is claimed in the quote, instead, the ecosystem would go with/recommend Iterable[Item] or Sequence[Item] and not List[Item] if applicable.

I think we both agree, not sure which part of my comment you think is contradictory.

[hbrn]

Whether something is generic/specific depends on the context.

As an argument type, Iterable is permissive (generic).

As a return type, Iterable is restrictive (specific).