Fixed custom types and moved common ones into types.py.

.github/CODEOWNERS

@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ cmd2/py_bridge.py          @kmvanbrunt
 cmd2/rich_utils.py         @kmvanbrunt
 cmd2/string_utils.py       @kmvanbrunt
 cmd2/styles.py             @tleonhardt @kmvanbrunt
+cmd2/types.py              @tleonhardt @kmvanbrunt
 cmd2/utils.py              @tleonhardt @kmvanbrunt
 
 # Documentation

cmd2/argparse_custom.py

@@ -294,13 +294,14 @@ def get_choices(self) -> Choices:
 
 from . import constants
 from . import rich_utils as ru
-from .completion import (
+from .completion import CompletionItem
+from .rich_utils import Cmd2RichArgparseConsole
+from .styles import Cmd2Style
+from .types import (
     ChoicesProviderUnbound,
+    CmdOrSet,
     CompleterUnbound,
-    CompletionItem,
 )
-from .rich_utils import Cmd2RichArgparseConsole
-from .styles import Cmd2Style
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
     from .argparse_completer import ArgparseCompleter
@@ -384,7 +385,7 @@ class ChoicesCallable:
     def __init__(
         self,
         is_completer: bool,
-        to_call: ChoicesProviderUnbound | CompleterUnbound,
+        to_call: ChoicesProviderUnbound[CmdOrSet] | CompleterUnbound[CmdOrSet],
     ) -> None:
         """Initialize the ChoiceCallable instance.
 
@@ -396,18 +397,18 @@ def __init__(
         self.to_call = to_call
 
     @property
-    def choices_provider(self) -> ChoicesProviderUnbound:
+    def choices_provider(self) -> ChoicesProviderUnbound[CmdOrSet]:
         """Retreive the internal choices_provider function."""
         if self.is_completer:
             raise AttributeError("This instance is configured as a completer, not a choices_provider")
-        return cast(ChoicesProviderUnbound, self.to_call)
+        return cast(ChoicesProviderUnbound[CmdOrSet], self.to_call)
 
     @property
-    def completer(self) -> CompleterUnbound:
+    def completer(self) -> CompleterUnbound[CmdOrSet]:
         """Retreive the internal completer function."""
         if not self.is_completer:
             raise AttributeError("This instance is configured as a choices_provider, not a completer")
-        return cast(CompleterUnbound, self.to_call)
+        return cast(CompleterUnbound[CmdOrSet], self.to_call)
 
 
 ############################################################################################################
@@ -476,7 +477,7 @@ def _action_set_choices_callable(self: argparse.Action, choices_callable: Choice
 
 def _action_set_choices_provider(
     self: argparse.Action,
-    choices_provider: ChoicesProviderUnbound,
+    choices_provider: ChoicesProviderUnbound[CmdOrSet],
 ) -> None:
     """Set choices_provider of an argparse Action.
 
@@ -496,7 +497,7 @@ def _action_set_choices_provider(
 
 def _action_set_completer(
     self: argparse.Action,
-    completer: CompleterUnbound,
+    completer: CompleterUnbound[CmdOrSet],
 ) -> None:
     """Set completer of an argparse Action.
 
@@ -694,8 +695,8 @@ def _add_argument_wrapper(
     self: argparse._ActionsContainer,
     *args: Any,
     nargs: int | str | tuple[int] | tuple[int, int] | tuple[int, float] | None = None,
-    choices_provider: ChoicesProviderUnbound | None = None,
-    completer: CompleterUnbound | None = None,
+    choices_provider: ChoicesProviderUnbound[CmdOrSet] | None = None,
+    completer: CompleterUnbound[CmdOrSet] | None = None,
     suppress_tab_hint: bool = False,
     table_header: Sequence[str | Column] | None = None,
     **kwargs: Any,

cmd2/cmd2.py

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@
     TYPE_CHECKING,
     Any,
     TextIO,
+    TypeAlias,
     TypeVar,
     Union,
     cast,
@@ -107,12 +108,8 @@
 )
 from .completion import (
     Choices,
-    ChoicesProviderUnbound,
-    CompleterBound,
-    CompleterUnbound,
     CompletionItem,
     Completions,
-    Matchable,
 )
 from .constants import (
     CLASS_ATTR_DEFAULT_HELP_CATEGORY,
@@ -121,7 +118,6 @@
     HELP_FUNC_PREFIX,
 )
 from .decorators import (
-    CommandParent,
     as_subcommand_to,
     with_argparser,
 )
@@ -152,6 +148,12 @@
     RichPrintKwargs,
 )
 from .styles import Cmd2Style
+from .types import (
+    ChoicesProviderUnbound,
+    CmdOrSet,
+    CompleterBound,
+    CompleterUnbound,
+)
 
 with contextlib.suppress(ImportError):
     from IPython import start_ipython
@@ -196,6 +198,13 @@ def __init__(self, msg: str = '') -> None:
     suggest_similar,
 )
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
+    StaticArgParseBuilder = staticmethod[[], argparse.ArgumentParser]
+    ClassArgParseBuilder = classmethod['Cmd' | CommandSet, [], argparse.ArgumentParser]
+else:
+    StaticArgParseBuilder = staticmethod
+    ClassArgParseBuilder = classmethod
+
 
 class _SavedCmd2Env:
     """cmd2 environment settings that are backed up when entering an interactive Python shell."""
@@ -209,14 +218,6 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
 DisabledCommand = namedtuple('DisabledCommand', ['command_function', 'help_function', 'completer_function'])  # noqa: PYI024
 
 
-if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
-    StaticArgParseBuilder = staticmethod[[], argparse.ArgumentParser]
-    ClassArgParseBuilder = classmethod['Cmd' | CommandSet, [], argparse.ArgumentParser]
-else:
-    StaticArgParseBuilder = staticmethod
-    ClassArgParseBuilder = classmethod
-
-
 class _CommandParsers:
     """Create and store all command method argument parsers for a given Cmd instance.
 
@@ -840,7 +841,7 @@ def register_command_set(self, cmdset: CommandSet) -> None:
 
     def _build_parser(
         self,
-        parent: CommandParent,
+        parent: CmdOrSet,
         parser_builder: argparse.ArgumentParser
         | Callable[[], argparse.ArgumentParser]
         | StaticArgParseBuilder
@@ -849,7 +850,7 @@ def _build_parser(
     ) -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
         """Build argument parser for a command/subcommand.
 
-        :param parent: CommandParent object which owns the command using the parser.
+        :param parent: object which owns the command using the parser.
                        When parser_builder is a classmethod, this function passes
                        parent's class to it.
         :param parser_builder: means used to build the parser
@@ -1821,7 +1822,7 @@ def basic_complete(
         line: str,  # noqa: ARG002
         begidx: int,  # noqa: ARG002
         endidx: int,  # noqa: ARG002
-        match_against: Iterable[Matchable],
+        match_against: Iterable[str | CompletionItem],
         *,
         sort: bool = True,
     ) -> Completions:
@@ -2193,8 +2194,8 @@ def _determine_ap_completer_type(parser: argparse.ArgumentParser) -> type[argpar
         :param parser: the parser to examine
         :return: type of ArgparseCompleter
         """
-        Completer = type[argparse_completer.ArgparseCompleter] | None  # noqa: N806
-        completer_type: Completer = parser.get_ap_completer_type()  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        APCompleterType: TypeAlias = type[argparse_completer.ArgparseCompleter] | None
+        completer_type: APCompleterType = parser.get_ap_completer_type()  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
 
         if completer_type is None:
             completer_type = argparse_completer.DEFAULT_AP_COMPLETER
@@ -3283,8 +3284,8 @@ def _resolve_completer(
         self,
         preserve_quotes: bool = False,
         choices: Iterable[Any] | None = None,
-        choices_provider: ChoicesProviderUnbound | None = None,
-        completer: CompleterUnbound | None = None,
+        choices_provider: ChoicesProviderUnbound[CmdOrSet] | None = None,
+        completer: CompleterUnbound[CmdOrSet] | None = None,
         parser: argparse.ArgumentParser | None = None,
     ) -> Completer:
         """Determine the appropriate completer based on provided arguments."""
@@ -3315,8 +3316,8 @@ def read_input(
         history: Sequence[str] | None = None,
         preserve_quotes: bool = False,
         choices: Iterable[Any] | None = None,
-        choices_provider: ChoicesProviderUnbound | None = None,
-        completer: CompleterUnbound | None = None,
+        choices_provider: ChoicesProviderUnbound[CmdOrSet] | None = None,
+        completer: CompleterUnbound[CmdOrSet] | None = None,
         parser: argparse.ArgumentParser | None = None,
     ) -> str:
         """Read a line of input with optional completion and history.

cmd2/command_definition.py

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 from .utils import Settable
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
-    import cmd2
+    from .cmd2 import Cmd
 
 #: Callable signature for a basic command  function
 #: Further refinements are needed to define the input parameters
@@ -92,13 +92,13 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
         This will be set when the CommandSet is registered and it should be
         accessed by child classes using the self._cmd property.
         """
-        self.__cmd_internal: cmd2.Cmd | None = None
+        self.__cmd_internal: Cmd | None = None
 
         self._settables: dict[str, Settable] = {}
         self._settable_prefix = self.__class__.__name__
 
     @property
-    def _cmd(self) -> 'cmd2.Cmd':
+    def _cmd(self) -> 'Cmd':
         """Property for child classes to access self.__cmd_internal.
 
         Using this property ensures that self.__cmd_internal has been set
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ def _cmd(self) -> CustomCmdApp:
             raise CommandSetRegistrationError('This CommandSet is not registered')
         return self.__cmd_internal
 
-    def on_register(self, cmd: 'cmd2.Cmd') -> None:
+    def on_register(self, cmd: 'Cmd') -> None:
         """First step to registering a CommandSet, called by cmd2.Cmd.
 
         The commands defined in this class have not been added to the CLI object at this point.

cmd2/completion.py

@@ -3,31 +3,23 @@
 import re
 import sys
 from collections.abc import (
-    Callable,
     Collection,
     Iterable,
     Iterator,
-    Mapping,
     Sequence,
 )
 from dataclasses import (
     dataclass,
     field,
 )
 from typing import (
-    TYPE_CHECKING,
     Any,
-    TypeAlias,
     cast,
     overload,
 )
 
 from . import string_utils as su
 
-if TYPE_CHECKING:  # pragma: no cover
-    from .cmd2 import Cmd
-    from .command_definition import CommandSet
-
 if sys.version_info >= (3, 11):
     from typing import Self
 else:
@@ -36,7 +28,6 @@
 from rich.protocol import is_renderable
 
 from . import rich_utils as ru
-from . import utils
 
 # Regular expression to identify strings which we should sort numerically
 NUMERIC_RE = re.compile(
@@ -151,6 +142,8 @@ class CompletionResultsBase:
 
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
         """Finalize the object after initialization."""
+        from . import utils
+
         unique_items = utils.remove_duplicates(self.items)
         if not self.is_sorted:
             if all_display_numeric(unique_items):
@@ -264,49 +257,3 @@ class Completions(CompletionResultsBase):
 def all_display_numeric(items: Collection[CompletionItem]) -> bool:
     """Return True if items is non-empty and every item.display_plain value is a numeric string."""
     return bool(items) and all(NUMERIC_RE.match(item.display_plain) for item in items)
-
-
-#############################################
-# choices_provider function types
-#############################################
-
-# Represents the parsed tokens from argparse during completion
-ArgTokens: TypeAlias = Mapping[str, Sequence[str]]
-
-# Unbound choices_provider function types used by argparse-based completion.
-# These expect a Cmd or CommandSet instance as the first argument.
-ChoicesProviderUnbound: TypeAlias = (
-    # Basic: (self) -> Choices
-    Callable[["Cmd"], Choices]
-    | Callable[["CommandSet"], Choices]
-    |
-    # Context-aware: (self, arg_tokens) -> Choices
-    Callable[["Cmd", ArgTokens], Choices]
-    | Callable[["CommandSet", ArgTokens], Choices]
-)
-
-#############################################
-# completer function types
-#############################################
-
-# Unbound completer function types used by argparse-based completion.
-# These expect a Cmd or CommandSet instance as the first argument.
-CompleterUnbound: TypeAlias = (
-    # Basic: (self, text, line, begidx, endidx) -> Completions
-    Callable[["Cmd", str, str, int, int], Completions]
-    | Callable[["CommandSet", str, str, int, int], Completions]
-    |
-    # Context-aware: (self, text, line, begidx, endidx, arg_tokens) -> Completions
-    Callable[["Cmd", str, str, int, int, ArgTokens], Completions]
-    | Callable[["CommandSet", str, str, int, int, ArgTokens], Completions]
-)
-
-# A bound completer used internally by cmd2 for basic completion logic.
-# The 'self' argument is already tied to an instance and is omitted.
-# Format: (text, line, begidx, endidx) -> Completions
-CompleterBound: TypeAlias = Callable[[str, str, int, int], Completions]
-
-# Represents a type that can be matched against when completing.
-# Strings are matched directly while CompletionItems are matched
-# against their 'text' member.
-Matchable: TypeAlias = str | CompletionItem