configure_tagged_unions: fix recursive type aliases

Author: Tinche

HISTORY.md

@@ -31,8 +31,10 @@ Our backwards-compatibility policy can be found [here](https://github.com/python
   ([#707](https://github.com/python-attrs/cattrs/issues/707) [#708](https://github.com/python-attrs/cattrs/pull/708))
 - Enum handling has been optimized by switching to hook factories, improving performance especially for plain enums.
   ([#705](https://github.com/python-attrs/cattrs/pull/705))
-- Fix `include_subclasses` when used with `configure_tagged_union` and classes using diamond inheritance.
+- Fix {func}`cattrs.strategies.include_subclasses` when used with {func}`cattrs.strategies.configure_tagged_union` and classes using diamond inheritance.
   ([#685](https://github.com/python-attrs/cattrs/issues/685) [#713](https://github.com/python-attrs/cattrs/pull/713))
+- Fix {func}`cattrs.strategies.configure_tagged_union` when used with recursive type aliases.
+  ([#678](https://github.com/python-attrs/cattrs/issues/678) [#714](https://github.com/python-attrs/cattrs/pull/714))
 
 ## 25.3.0 (2025-10-07)
 

src/cattrs/strategies/_unions.py

@@ -52,60 +52,20 @@ def configure_tagged_union(
     if is_type_alias(union):
         union = union.__value__
     args = union.__args__
+
     tag_to_hook = {}
     exact_cl_unstruct_hooks = {}
-    for cl in args:
-        tag = tag_generator(cl)
-        struct_handler = converter.get_structure_hook(cl)
-        unstruct_handler = converter.get_unstructure_hook(cl)
-
-        def structure_union_member(val: dict, _cl=cl, _h=struct_handler) -> cl:
-            return _h(val, _cl)
-
-        def unstructure_union_member(val: union, _h=unstruct_handler) -> dict:
-            return _h(val)
-
-        tag_to_hook[tag] = structure_union_member
-        exact_cl_unstruct_hooks[cl] = unstructure_union_member
-
-    cl_to_tag = {cl: tag_generator(cl) for cl in args}
+    cl_to_tag = {}
 
     if default is not NOTHING:
         default_handler = converter.get_structure_hook(default)
 
         def structure_default(val: dict, _cl=default, _h=default_handler):
             return _h(val, _cl)
 
-        tag_to_hook = defaultdict(lambda: structure_default, tag_to_hook)
-        cl_to_tag = defaultdict(lambda: default, cl_to_tag)
+        tag_to_hook = defaultdict(lambda: structure_default)
+        cl_to_tag = defaultdict(lambda: default)
 
-    def unstructure_tagged_union(
-        val: union,
-        _exact_cl_unstruct_hooks=exact_cl_unstruct_hooks,
-        _cl_to_tag=cl_to_tag,
-        _tag_name=tag_name,
-    ) -> dict:
-        res = _exact_cl_unstruct_hooks[val.__class__](val)
-        res[_tag_name] = _cl_to_tag[val.__class__]
-        return res
-
-    if default is NOTHING:
-        if getattr(converter, "forbid_extra_keys", False):
-
-            def structure_tagged_union(
-                val: dict, _, _tag_to_cl=tag_to_hook, _tag_name=tag_name
-            ) -> union:
-                val = val.copy()
-                return _tag_to_cl[val.pop(_tag_name)](val)
-
-        else:
-
-            def structure_tagged_union(
-                val: dict, _, _tag_to_cl=tag_to_hook, _tag_name=tag_name
-            ) -> union:
-                return _tag_to_cl[val[_tag_name]](val)
-
-    else:
         if getattr(converter, "forbid_extra_keys", False):
 
             def structure_tagged_union(
@@ -135,9 +95,50 @@ def structure_tagged_union(
                     return _tag_to_hook[val[_tag_name]](val)
                 return _dh(val, _default)
 
+    else:
+        if getattr(converter, "forbid_extra_keys", False):
+
+            def structure_tagged_union(
+                val: dict, _, _tag_to_cl=tag_to_hook, _tag_name=tag_name
+            ) -> union:
+                val = val.copy()
+                return _tag_to_cl[val.pop(_tag_name)](val)
+
+        else:
+
+            def structure_tagged_union(
+                val: dict, _, _tag_to_cl=tag_to_hook, _tag_name=tag_name
+            ) -> union:
+                return _tag_to_cl[val[_tag_name]](val)
+
+    def unstructure_tagged_union(
+        val: union,
+        _exact_cl_unstruct_hooks=exact_cl_unstruct_hooks,
+        _cl_to_tag=cl_to_tag,
+        _tag_name=tag_name,
+    ) -> dict:
+        res = _exact_cl_unstruct_hooks[val.__class__](val)
+        res[_tag_name] = _cl_to_tag[val.__class__]
+        return res
+
     converter.register_unstructure_hook(union, unstructure_tagged_union)
     converter.register_structure_hook(union, structure_tagged_union)
 
+    for cl in args:
+        tag = tag_generator(cl)
+        struct_handler = converter.get_structure_hook(cl)
+        unstruct_handler = converter.get_unstructure_hook(cl)
+
+        def structure_union_member(val: dict, _cl=cl, _h=struct_handler) -> cl:
+            return _h(val, _cl)
+
+        def unstructure_union_member(val: union, _h=unstruct_handler) -> dict:
+            return _h(val)
+
+        tag_to_hook[tag] = structure_union_member
+        exact_cl_unstruct_hooks[cl] = unstructure_union_member
+        cl_to_tag[cl] = tag
+
 
 def configure_union_passthrough(
     union: Any, converter: BaseConverter, accept_ints_as_floats: bool = True

tests/strategies/test_tagged_unions_695.py

@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
-import pytest
+from __future__ import annotations
 
-from cattrs import BaseConverter
+from attrs import define
+
+from cattrs import BaseConverter, Converter
 from cattrs.strategies import configure_tagged_union
 
-from .._compat import is_py312_plus
 from .test_tagged_unions import A, B
 
 
-@pytest.mark.skipif(not is_py312_plus, reason="New type alias syntax")
 def test_type_alias(converter: BaseConverter):
     """Type aliases to unions also work."""
     type AOrB = A | B
@@ -19,3 +19,37 @@ def test_type_alias(converter: BaseConverter):
 
     assert converter.structure({"_type": "A", "a": 1}, AOrB) == A(1)
     assert converter.structure({"_type": "B", "a": 1}, AOrB) == B("1")
+
+
+@define
+class Lit:
+    value: float
+
+
+@define
+class Add:
+    left: Expr
+    right: Expr
+
+
+type Expr = Add | Lit
+
+
+def test_recursive_type_alias(genconverter: Converter):
+    """Recursive type aliases to unions also work.
+
+    Only tests on the GenConverter since the BaseConverter doesn't support
+    stringified annotations.
+    """
+
+    configure_tagged_union(Expr, genconverter)
+
+    val = Add(Lit(1.0), Lit(2.0))
+    expected = {
+        "_type": "Add",
+        "left": {"_type": "Lit", "value": 1.0},
+        "right": {"_type": "Lit", "value": 2.0},
+    }
+
+    assert genconverter.unstructure(val, Expr) == expected
+    assert genconverter.structure(expected, Expr) == val