[Backport maintenance/4.0.x] Wrong inference with default argument values

ChangeLog

@@ -13,12 +13,16 @@ What's New in astroid 4.0.3?
 ============================
 Release date: TBA
 
+* Fix inference of ``IfExp`` (ternary expression) nodes to avoid prematurely narrowing
+  results in the face of inference ambiguity.
+
+  Closes #2899
+
 * Fix base class inference for dataclasses using the PEP 695 typing syntax.
 
   Refs pylint-dev/pylint#10788
 
 
-
 What's New in astroid 4.0.2?
 ============================
 Release date: 2025-11-09

astroid/nodes/node_classes.py

@@ -3108,31 +3108,37 @@ def _infer(
         to inferring both branches. Otherwise, we infer either branch
         depending on the condition.
         """
-        both_branches = False
+
         # We use two separate contexts for evaluating lhs and rhs because
         # evaluating lhs may leave some undesired entries in context.path
         # which may not let us infer right value of rhs.
-
         context = context or InferenceContext()
         lhs_context = copy_context(context)
         rhs_context = copy_context(context)
+
+        # Infer bool condition. Stop inferring if in doubt and fallback to
+        # evaluating both branches.
+        condition: bool | None = None
         try:
-            test = next(self.test.infer(context=context.clone()))
-        except (InferenceError, StopIteration):
-            both_branches = True
-        else:
-            test_bool_value = test.bool_value()
-            if not isinstance(test, util.UninferableBase) and not isinstance(
-                test_bool_value, util.UninferableBase
-            ):
-                if test_bool_value:
-                    yield from self.body.infer(context=lhs_context)
-                else:
-                    yield from self.orelse.infer(context=rhs_context)
-            else:
-                both_branches = True
-        if both_branches:
+            for test in self.test.infer(context=context.clone()):
+                if isinstance(test, util.UninferableBase):
+                    condition = None
+                    break
+                test_bool_value = test.bool_value()
+                if isinstance(test_bool_value, util.UninferableBase):
+                    condition = None
+                    break
+                if condition is None:
+                    condition = test_bool_value
+                elif test_bool_value != condition:
+                    condition = None
+                    break
+        except InferenceError:
+            condition = None
+
+        if condition is True or condition is None:
             yield from self.body.infer(context=lhs_context)
+        if condition is False or condition is None:
             yield from self.orelse.infer(context=rhs_context)
 
 

tests/test_inference.py

@@ -6442,6 +6442,98 @@ def both_branches():
     assert [third[0].value, third[1].value] == [1, 2]
 
 
+def test_ifexp_with_default_arguments() -> None:
+    code = """
+    def with_default(foo: str | None = None):
+        a = 1 if foo else "bar" #@
+
+    def without_default(foo: str):
+        a = 1 if foo else "bar" #@
+
+    def some_ifexps(foo: str | None = None):
+        a = 1 if foo else 2
+        b = 3 if a else 4 #@
+        c = 4 if b else 5 #@
+        d = 5 if not foo else foo #@
+        e = d if not foo else foo #@
+    """
+
+    ast_nodes = extract_node(code)
+
+    first = ast_nodes[0].value.inferred()
+    second = ast_nodes[1].value.inferred()
+    third = ast_nodes[2].value.inferred()
+    fourth = ast_nodes[3].value.inferred()
+    fifth = ast_nodes[4].value.inferred()
+    sixth = ast_nodes[5].value.inferred()
+
+    assert len(first) == 2
+    assert [first[0].value, first[1].value] == [1, "bar"]
+
+    assert len(second) == 2
+    assert [second[0].value, second[1].value] == [1, "bar"]
+
+    assert len(third) == 1
+    assert third[0].value == 3
+
+    assert len(fourth) == 1
+    assert fourth[0].value == 4
+
+    assert len(fifth) == 2
+    assert [fifth[0].value, fifth[1].value] == [5, Uninferable]
+
+    assert len(sixth) == 3
+    assert [sixth[0].value, sixth[1].value, sixth[2].value] == [
+        5,
+        Uninferable,
+        Uninferable,
+    ]
+
+
+def test_ifexp_with_uninferables() -> None:
+    code = """
+    def truthy_and_falsy():
+        return False if unknown() else True
+
+    def truthy_and_uninferable():
+        return False if unknown() else unknown()
+
+    def calls_truthy_and_falsy():
+        return 1 if truthy_and_falsy() else 2
+
+    def calls_truthy_and_uninferable():
+        return 1 if range(10) else truthy_and_uninferable()
+
+    truthy_and_falsy() #@
+    truthy_and_uninferable() #@
+    calls_truthy_and_falsy() #@
+    calls_truthy_and_uninferable() #@
+    """
+
+    ast_nodes = extract_node(code)
+
+    first = ast_nodes[0].inferred()
+    second = ast_nodes[1].inferred()
+    third = ast_nodes[2].inferred()
+    fourth = ast_nodes[3].inferred()
+
+    assert len(first) == 2
+    assert [first[0].value, first[1].value] == [False, True]
+
+    assert len(second) == 2
+    assert [second[0].value, second[1].value] == [False, Uninferable]
+
+    assert len(third) == 2
+    assert [third[0].value, third[1].value] == [1, 2]
+
+    assert len(fourth) == 3
+    assert [fourth[0].value, fourth[1].value, fourth[2].value] == [
+        1,
+        False,
+        Uninferable,
+    ]
+
+
 def test_assert_last_function_returns_none_on_inference() -> None:
     code = """
     def check_equal(a, b):