Conventions for variance terminology

python2/test_typing.py

@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@ def test_covariance_tuple(self):
 
     def test_covariance_sequence(self):
         # Check covariance for Sequence (which is just a generic class
-        # for this purpose, but using a covariant type variable).
+        # for this purpose, but using a type variable with covariant=True).
         self.assertIsSubclass(typing.Sequence[Manager],
                               typing.Sequence[Employee])
         self.assertNotIsSubclass(typing.Sequence[Employee],

python2/typing.py

@@ -385,9 +385,10 @@ def longest(x: A, y: A) -> A:
     and issubclass(bytes, A) are true, and issubclass(int, A) is
     false.  (TODO: Why is this needed?  This may change.  See #136.)
 
-    Type variables may be marked covariant or contravariant by passing
-    covariant=True or contravariant=True.  See PEP 484 for more
-    details.  By default type variables are invariant.
+    Type variables defined with covariant=True or contravariant=True
+    can be used do declare covariant or contravariant generic types.
+    See PEP 484 for more details. By default generic types are invariant
+    in all type variables.
 
     Type variables can be introspected. e.g.:
 
@@ -406,7 +407,7 @@ def __new__(cls, name, *constraints, **kwargs):
         contravariant = kwargs.get('contravariant', False)
         self = super(TypeVar, cls).__new__(cls, name, (Final,), {})
         if covariant and contravariant:
-            raise ValueError("Bivariant type variables are not supported.")
+            raise ValueError("Bivariant types are not supported.")
         self.__covariant__ = bool(covariant)
         self.__contravariant__ = bool(contravariant)
         if constraints and bound is not None:
@@ -1055,7 +1056,7 @@ def __subclasscheck__(self, cls):
         if cls is Any:
             return True
         if isinstance(cls, GenericMeta):
-            # For a class C(Generic[T]) where T is co-variant,
+            # For a covariant class C(Generic[T]),
             # C[X] is a subclass of C[Y] iff X is a subclass of Y.
             origin = self.__origin__
             if origin is not None and origin is cls.__origin__:
@@ -1389,7 +1390,7 @@ class MutableSet(AbstractSet[T]):
     __extra__ = collections_abc.MutableSet
 
 
-# NOTE: Only the value type is covariant.
+# NOTE: It is only covariant in the value type.
 class Mapping(Sized, Iterable[KT], Container[KT], Generic[KT, VT_co]):
     __extra__ = collections_abc.Mapping
 
@@ -1523,11 +1524,11 @@ def __new__(cls, *args, **kwds):
 
 
 # Internal type variable used for Type[].
-CT = TypeVar('CT', covariant=True, bound=type)
+CT_co = TypeVar('CT_co', covariant=True, bound=type)
 
 
 # This is not a real generic class.  Don't use outside annotations.
-class Type(type, Generic[CT]):
+class Type(type, Generic[CT_co]):
     """A special construct usable to annotate class objects.
 
     For example, suppose we have the following classes::

src/test_typing.py

@@ -852,7 +852,7 @@ def test_covariance_tuple(self):
 
     def test_covariance_sequence(self):
         # Check covariance for Sequence (which is just a generic class
-        # for this purpose, but using a covariant type variable).
+        # for this purpose, but using a type variable with covariant=True).
         self.assertIsSubclass(typing.Sequence[Manager],
                               typing.Sequence[Employee])
         self.assertNotIsSubclass(typing.Sequence[Employee],

src/typing.py

@@ -382,9 +382,10 @@ def longest(x: A, y: A) -> A:
     and issubclass(bytes, A) are true, and issubclass(int, A) is
     false.  (TODO: Why is this needed?  This may change.  See #136.)
 
-    Type variables may be marked covariant or contravariant by passing
-    covariant=True or contravariant=True.  See PEP 484 for more
-    details.  By default type variables are invariant.
+    Type variables defined with covariant=True or contravariant=True
+    can be used do declare covariant or contravariant generic types.
+    See PEP 484 for more details. By default generic types are invariant
+    in all type variables.
 
     Type variables can be introspected. e.g.:
 
@@ -399,7 +400,7 @@ def __new__(cls, name, *constraints, bound=None,
                 covariant=False, contravariant=False):
         self = super().__new__(cls, name, (Final,), {}, _root=True)
         if covariant and contravariant:
-            raise ValueError("Bivariant type variables are not supported.")
+            raise ValueError("Bivariant types are not supported.")
         self.__covariant__ = bool(covariant)
         self.__contravariant__ = bool(contravariant)
         if constraints and bound is not None:
@@ -1038,7 +1039,7 @@ def __subclasscheck__(self, cls):
         if cls is Any:
             return True
         if isinstance(cls, GenericMeta):
-            # For a class C(Generic[T]) where T is co-variant,
+            # For a covariant class C(Generic[T]),
             # C[X] is a subclass of C[Y] iff X is a subclass of Y.
             origin = self.__origin__
             if origin is not None and origin is cls.__origin__:
@@ -1440,7 +1441,7 @@ class MutableSet(AbstractSet[T], extra=collections_abc.MutableSet):
     pass
 
 
-# NOTE: Only the value type is covariant.
+# NOTE: It is only covariant in the value type.
 class Mapping(Sized, Iterable[KT], Container[KT], Generic[KT, VT_co],
               extra=collections_abc.Mapping):
     pass
@@ -1577,11 +1578,11 @@ def __new__(cls, *args, **kwds):
 
 
 # Internal type variable used for Type[].
-CT = TypeVar('CT', covariant=True, bound=type)
+CT_co = TypeVar('CT_co', covariant=True, bound=type)
 
 
 # This is not a real generic class.  Don't use outside annotations.
-class Type(type, Generic[CT], extra=type):
+class Type(type, Generic[CT_co], extra=type):
     """A special construct usable to annotate class objects.
 
     For example, suppose we have the following classes::