Diagnostic for importing a module present in typeshed/stubs which is not installed should be reportMissingImports rather than reportMissingModuleSource

[jonathandung]

Type: Bug

Even when a third-party library such as tensorflow is not installed in my virtual environment, and has never been, Pylance only produces a reportMissingModuleSource warning, when it should be a reportMissingImports error. This is frustrating, to say the least. This possibly stems from Pylance being able to find the annotations in its own distribution of typeshed. I believe that reportMissingModuleSource should only be raised when there is a stub outside of typeshed but the source is not present. In comparison, using symbols from a module such as nltk that is not in typeshed correctly raises reportMissingImports. Even if the developer knows the required modules are always present and wants to patch the error, they would not go about inserting the stub in the Pylance typeshed-fallback folder or similar.

Extension version: 2026.2.101
VS Code version: Code 1.119.0 (8b640eef5a6c6089c029249d48efa5c99adf7d51, 2026-05-05T11:23:50-07:00)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26200
Modes:

System Added Logs

2026-05-10 14:35:17.128 [info] Client: Pylance client (2026.2.101) started with python extension (2026.5.2026050801)
2026-05-10 14:35:18.520 [info] (560): Server root directory: file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.vscode-pylance-2026.2.101/dist
2026-05-10 14:35:18.597 [info] (560): Pylance language server 2026.2.101 (pyright version 1.1.409, commit 34c556b7) starting
2026-05-10 14:35:18.622 [info] (560): Starting service instance "asyncutils" for workspace "c:\Users\Jonathan Dung\asyncutils"
2026-05-10 14:35:19.686 [info] (560): Loading background bundle file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.vscode-pylance-2026.2.101/dist/copilot-background.bundle.js into file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/asyncutils...
2026-05-10 14:35:19.730 [info] (560): Starting Mcp server id:63025 ...
2026-05-10 14:35:19.811 [info] (560): FG(asyncutils): Loading pyproject.toml file at c:\Users\Jonathan Dung\asyncutils\pyproject.toml
2026-05-10 14:35:19.816 [info] (560): FG(asyncutils): Setting environmentName for service "asyncutils": "3.14.0 (global)"
2026-05-10 14:35:19.816 [info] (560): FG(asyncutils): Setting pythonPath for service "asyncutils": "C:\Program Files\Python314\python.exe"
2026-05-10 14:35:19.817 [info] (560): FG(asyncutils): No include entries specified; assuming c:\Users\Jonathan Dung\asyncutils
2026-05-10 14:35:19.818 [info] (560): FG(asyncutils): Auto-excluding **/node_modules
2026-05-10 14:35:19.818 [info] (560): FG(asyncutils): Auto-excluding **/__pycache__
2026-05-10 14:35:19.818 [info] (560): FG(asyncutils): Auto-excluding **/.*
2026-05-10 14:35:19.895 [info] (560): FG(asyncutils): Assuming Python version 3.14.0.final.0
2026-05-10 14:35:20.049 [info] (560): [Editable Installs] Starting dynamic pth file resolution for Python: C:\Program Files\Python314\python.exe
2026-05-10 14:35:20.063 [info] (560): [Editable Installs] No sandbox available for Python C:\Program Files\Python314\python.exe. Dynamic pth file resolution requires Python 3.13 or later.
2026-05-10 14:35:20.085 [info] (560): FG(asyncutils): Found 124 source files
2026-05-10 14:35:20.548 [info] (560): PQ(asyncutils): Priority queue background worker(2) root directory: file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.vscode-pylance-2026.2.101/dist
2026-05-10 14:35:20.549 [info] (560): PQ(asyncutils): Priority queue background worker(2) started
2026-05-10 14:35:20.549 [info] (560): Settings have not changed. Skipping update.
2026-05-10 14:35:27.748 [info] Client: Pylance client (2026.2.101) started with python extension (2026.5.2026050801)
2026-05-10 14:35:28.235 [info] (2812): Server root directory: file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.vscode-pylance-2026.2.101/dist
2026-05-10 14:35:28.237 [info] (2812): Pylance language server 2026.2.101 (pyright version 1.1.409, commit 34c556b7) starting
2026-05-10 14:35:28.247 [info] (2812): Starting service instance "python stuff" for workspace "c:\Users\Jonathan Dung\python stuff"
2026-05-10 14:35:29.126 [info] (2812): Loading background bundle file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.vscode-pylance-2026.2.101/dist/copilot-background.bundle.js into file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/python%20stuff...
2026-05-10 14:35:29.172 [info] (2812): Starting Mcp server id:59555 ...
2026-05-10 14:35:29.385 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): Setting environmentName for service "python stuff": "3.14.0 (global)"
2026-05-10 14:35:29.385 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): Setting pythonPath for service "python stuff": "C:\Program Files\Python314\python.exe"
2026-05-10 14:35:29.386 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): No include entries specified; assuming c:\Users\Jonathan Dung\python stuff
2026-05-10 14:35:29.387 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): Auto-excluding **/node_modules
2026-05-10 14:35:29.388 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): Auto-excluding **/__pycache__
2026-05-10 14:35:29.388 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): Auto-excluding **/.*
2026-05-10 14:35:29.473 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): Assuming Python version 3.14.0.final.0
2026-05-10 14:35:29.635 [info] (2812): [Editable Installs] Starting dynamic pth file resolution for Python: C:\Program Files\Python314\python.exe
2026-05-10 14:35:29.646 [info] (2812): [Editable Installs] No sandbox available for Python C:\Program Files\Python314\python.exe. Dynamic pth file resolution requires Python 3.13 or later.
2026-05-10 14:35:29.681 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): Found 8 source files
2026-05-10 14:35:29.865 [info] (2812): PQ(python stuff): Priority queue background worker(2) root directory: file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.vscode-pylance-2026.2.101/dist
2026-05-10 14:35:29.866 [info] (2812): PQ(python stuff): Priority queue background worker(2) started
2026-05-10 14:35:29.866 [info] (2812): Settings have not changed. Skipping update.
2026-05-10 14:35:30.514 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): IDX(python stuff): Indexer background runner(3) root directory: file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/.vscode/extensions/ms-python.vscode-pylance-2026.2.101/dist (index)
2026-05-10 14:35:30.514 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): IDX(python stuff): Indexing(3) started
2026-05-10 14:35:31.500 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): IDX(python stuff): scanned(3) 242 files over 1 exec env
2026-05-10 14:35:33.657 [warning] (2812): FG(python stuff): [ExternalProgram] _refreshSourceFileImports called for file with no parse results: file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/python%20stuff/shit.py
2026-05-10 14:35:33.659 [warning] (2812): BG(python stuff): [ExternalProgram] _refreshSourceFileImports called for file with no parse results: file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/python%20stuff/shit.py
2026-05-10 14:35:33.980 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): Found 7 source files
2026-05-10 14:35:34.847 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): IDX(python stuff): Long operation: index execution environment file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/python%20stuff (3002ms)
2026-05-10 14:35:34.950 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): IDX(python stuff): Long operation: index packages file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/python%20stuff (3132ms)
2026-05-10 14:35:34.950 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): IDX(python stuff): indexed(3) 242 files over 1 exec env
2026-05-10 14:35:35.065 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): IDX(python stuff): Indexing finished(3).
2026-05-10 14:40:28.121 [info] (2812): FG(python stuff): Found 8 source files
2026-05-10 14:48:58.380 [warning] (2812): FG(python stuff): [ExternalProgram] _refreshSourceFileImports called for file with no parse results: file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/python%20stuff/builtins.pyi
2026-05-10 14:48:58.381 [warning] (2812): BG(python stuff): [ExternalProgram] _refreshSourceFileImports called for file with no parse results: file:///c%3A/Users/Jonathan%20Dung/python%20stuff/builtins.pyi

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1135G7 @ 2.40GHz (8 x 2419)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled GPU0: VENDOR= 0x8086, DEVICE=0x9a49 [Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics], DRIVER_VENDOR=Intel, DRIVER_VERSION=32.0.101.6737 ACTIVE GPU1: VENDOR= 0x1414, DEVICE=0x008c [Microsoft Basic Render Driver], DRIVER_VERSION=10.0.26100.8328 Machine model name: Machine model version: direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_graphite: disabled_off trees_in_viz: disabled_off video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	undefined
Memory (System)	7.85GB (1.12GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id 9453c078-702b-4b0c-be82-802577994672
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

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[github-actions[bot]]

Hi @jonathandung, I'm an AI Support assistant here to help with your issue. While the team reviews your request, I wanted to provide some possible tips and documentation that might help you in the meantime.

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Potential Duplicate Issues – These issues may be duplicates of your report, but may differ in some of the details.

• Stubs in typeshed are found but missing module source causes reportMissingModuleSource rather than reportMissingImports: six.moves marked as missing module source #1343
• Pyright warns reportMissingModuleSource when only stubs for pygobject modules are installed: Pyright reports import warning "X could not be resolved from source" for pygobject modules while stubs installed #5204

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Similar Issues (FYI only, not solutions)

The following issues may or may not be related to your report. They are provided for reference only, as they may describe similar symptoms, affect the same feature, or address related concerns, but may not be the same issue.

• Stub file not found for an installed third-party library triggers reportMissingTypeStubs: Stub file not found for "hvac" #3020
• Missing import diagnostics when VS Code uses a global interpreter instead of the project’s virtual environment: reportMissingImports  #2106

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The team will respond to your issue shortly. Please note this is a trial feature and may not be fully accurate. I hope these suggestions are helpful in the meantime. If this comment helped you, please give it a 👍. If the suggestion was not helpful or was incorrect, please give it a 👎. Your feedback helps us improve!

[rchiodo]

Thanks for the suggestion. Moving to discussion items for up votes.