Do something else when method name is a TypeVar

Description

julia> T(a, b, c) where T = 1
T (generic function with 0 methods)

Contributor guide

Tech stack

None

Domain

backend

Issue type

bug

DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.

4

Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.

over 1 week

Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.

stale

ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.

needs investigation

Prerequisites

Familiarity with Julia's type systemUnderstanding of method definition internals

Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.

15

Research direction

The issue describes that defining a method with a TypeVar as the function name results in odd behavior (e.g., T(a,b,c) where T = 1). According to a comment from @JeffBezanson, this should do something else. To resolve this, one needs to investigate how method definitions are parsed and compiled in Julia, specifically in the parser and the module that handles method addition. Look at the source files related to method definition, such as method.c or builtins.c, and understand the intended behavior for a TypeVar as a method name. The goal is to decide what the correct behavior should be and implement it.