Misleading warning "Unreachable case except for null" (and one more issue)

[strelec]

Compiler version

Tested both 3.1.3 and 3.2.0-RC1

Minimized code

case class Composite[T](l: List[T], v: T)

def m(composite: Composite[_]): Unit =
  composite match {
    case Composite(l: List[Int], v: Int) => println(v)
    case _ => println("This is not Int")
  }

Output

Two bad warnings. First one is major, second one minor. Reporting both together, because I think they have the same root cause.

1. Unreachable case except for null (if this is intentional, consider writing case null => instead).

Strangely, If I follow the advice and specify case null => I get a proper match may not be exhaustive. warning.

2. the type test for List[Int] cannot be checked at runtime

Explanation: List[Int] does not need to be checked at runtime, because matching second parameter as Int fixes the possible type of the list.

Expectation

No warnings at all.

[som-snytt]

I can't tell which is major or minor, but

scala> m(Composite("" :: 42 :: Nil, 27))
27

is an int and a list of whatever it infers these days.

scala> "" :: 42 :: Nil
val res0: List[Matchable] = List("", 42)

Here is a difference:

scala> case class Composite[T](l: List[T], v: T)
// defined case class Composite

scala> def m(composite: Composite[?]): Unit =
     |   composite match {
     |     case Composite(l: List[Int], v: Int) => println(v)
     |     case _ => println("This is not Int")
     |   }
     |
2 warnings found
def m(composite: Composite[?]): Unit
-- Unchecked Warning: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 |    case Composite(l: List[Int], v: Int) => println(v)
  |                   ^
  |                   the type test for List[Int] cannot be checked at runtime
-- [E121] Pattern Match Warning: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 |    case _ => println("This is not Int")
  |         ^
  |         Unreachable case except for null (if this is intentional, consider writing case null => instead).

scala> def m[A](composite: Composite[A]): Unit =
     |   composite match {
     |     case Composite(l: List[Int], v: Int) => println(v)
     |     case _ => println("This is not Int")
     |   }
     |
1 warning found
def m[A](composite: Composite[A]): Unit
-- Unchecked Warning: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 |    case Composite(l: List[Int], v: Int) => println(v)
  |                   ^
  |                   the type test for List[Int] cannot be checked at runtime

scala>

[dwijnand]

Yeah, only the null reachability lint is wrong. Even if T is invariant, you can't tie the type test of v to l's type:

scala> case class Composite[T](l: List[T], v: T)
Composite// defined case class Composite

scala> Composite[Any](List("foo", false), 1)
val res0: Composite[Any] = Composite(List(foo, false),1)

scala> res0.l.asInstanceOf[List[Int]].head + 1
java.lang.ClassCastException: class java.lang.String cannot be cast to class java.lang.Integer (java.lang.String and java.lang.Integer are in module java.base of loader 'bootstrap')
  at scala.runtime.BoxesRunTime.unboxToInt(BoxesRunTime.java:99)
  ... 35 elided

[strelec]

I see, then I just have to be explicit in the type parameter, to prevent Composite[Any], like so:

case Composite[Int](l, v) =>

Meaning this should not emit warning, right?

case Composite[Int](l: List[Int], v) =>

[dwijnand]

No, there's nothing you can do. List is covariant, so anywhere it is, it could exist with a type argument that is a supertype of the precise type it was constructed with. Such as when it's a component of a Composite case class.

[som-snytt]

The difference between ? and the type param makes me not want to use ?.

I wonder if anyone has a meme handy of The Riddler from the old Batman tv show, whose signature was a giant ??

[strelec]

Still a problem with Scala 3.2.0

[bplommer]

I'm experiencing this in Scala 3.3.1 for a case where it wasn't occurring in 3.2.2.

[agaro1121]

Is there a workaround for this in the meantime?

[strelec]

Interesting, so was I correct saying that Composite(l: List[Int], v: Int) does not need to check List[Int] at runtime?

[dwijnand]

Interesting, so was I correct saying that Composite(l: List[Int], v: Int) does not need to check List[Int] at runtime?

No:

scala> case class Composite[T](l: List[T], v: T)
Composite// defined case class Composite

scala> Composite[Any](List("foo", false), 1)
val res0: Composite[Any] = Composite(List(foo, false),1)

scala> res0.l.asInstanceOf[List[Int]].head + 1
java.lang.ClassCastException: class java.lang.String cannot be cast to class java.lang.Integer (java.lang.String and java.lang.Integer are in module java.base of loader 'bootstrap')
  at scala.runtime.BoxesRunTime.unboxToInt(BoxesRunTime.java:99)
  ... 35 elided