autodoc: fix ordering of class and static methods for groupwise order

CHANGES.rst

@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ Bugs fixed
 * #1810: Always copy static files when building, regardless of whether
   any documents have changed since the previous build.
   Patch by Adam Turner.
+* #13201: autodoc: fix ordering of members when using ``groupwise``
+  for :confval:`autodoc_member_order`. Class methods are now rendered
+  before static methods, which themselves are rendered before regular
+  methods and attributes.
+  Patch by Bénédikt Tran.
 
 Testing
 -------

doc/usage/extensions/autodoc.rst

@@ -986,10 +986,12 @@ There are also config values that you can set:
 
    * ``'alphabetical'``:
      Use alphabetical order.
+
    * ``'groupwise'``: order by member type. The order is:
 
      * for modules, exceptions, classes, functions, data
-     * for classes: methods, then properties and attributes
+     * for classes: class methods, static methods, methods,
+                    and properties/attributes
 
      Members are ordered alphabetically within groups.
 

sphinx/ext/autodoc/__init__.py

@@ -907,7 +907,7 @@ def document_members(self, all_members: bool = False) -> None:
         members_check_module, members = self.get_object_members(want_all)
 
         # document non-skipped members
-        memberdocumenters: list[tuple[Documenter, bool]] = []
+        member_documenters: list[tuple[Documenter, bool]] = []
         for mname, member, isattr in self.filter_members(members, want_all):
             classes = [
                 cls
@@ -923,13 +923,27 @@ def document_members(self, all_members: bool = False) -> None:
             # of inner classes can be documented
             full_mname = f'{self.modname}::' + '.'.join((*self.objpath, mname))
             documenter = classes[-1](self.directive, full_mname, self.indent)
-            memberdocumenters.append((documenter, isattr))
+            member_documenters.append((documenter, isattr))
 
         member_order = self.options.member_order or self.config.autodoc_member_order
-        memberdocumenters = self.sort_members(memberdocumenters, member_order)
-
-        for documenter, isattr in memberdocumenters:
-            documenter.generate(
+        # We now try to import all objects before ordering them. This is to
+        # avoid possible circular imports if we were to import objects after
+        # their associated documenters have been sorted.
+        member_documenters = [
+            (documenter, isattr)
+            for documenter, isattr in member_documenters
+            if documenter.parse_name() and documenter.import_object()
+        ]
+        member_documenters = self.sort_members(member_documenters, member_order)
+
+        for documenter, isattr in member_documenters:
+            assert documenter.modname
+            # We can directly call ._generate() since the documenters
+            # already called parse_name() and import_object() before.
+            #
+            # Note that those two methods above do not emit events, so
+            # whatever objects we deduced should not have changed.
+            documenter._generate(
                 all_members=True,
                 real_modname=self.real_modname,
                 check_module=members_check_module and not isattr,
@@ -995,6 +1009,15 @@ def generate(
         if not self.import_object():
             return
 
+        self._generate(more_content, real_modname, check_module, all_members)
+
+    def _generate(
+        self,
+        more_content: StringList | None = None,
+        real_modname: str | None = None,
+        check_module: bool = False,
+        all_members: bool = False,
+    ) -> None:
         # If there is no real module defined, figure out which to use.
         # The real module is used in the module analyzer to look up the module
         # where the attribute documentation would actually be found in.
@@ -2358,17 +2381,14 @@ def import_object(self, raiseerror: bool = False) -> bool:
             return ret
 
         # to distinguish classmethod/staticmethod
-        obj = self.parent.__dict__.get(self.object_name)
-        if obj is None:
-            obj = self.object
-
-        obj_is_staticmethod = inspect.isstaticmethod(
-            obj, cls=self.parent, name=self.object_name
-        )
-        if inspect.isclassmethod(obj) or obj_is_staticmethod:
-            # document class and static members before ordinary ones
-            self.member_order = self.member_order - 1
-
+        obj = self.parent.__dict__.get(self.object_name, self.object)
+        if inspect.isstaticmethod(obj, cls=self.parent, name=self.object_name):
+            # document static members before regular methods
+            self.member_order -= 1
+        elif inspect.isclassmethod(obj):
+            # document class methods before static methods as
+            # they usually behave as alternative constructors
+            self.member_order -= 2
         return ret
 
     def format_args(self, **kwargs: Any) -> str:

tests/roots/test-ext-autodoc/target/__init__.py

@@ -72,6 +72,14 @@ def excludemeth(self):
         'moore', 9, 8, 7, docstring='moore(a, e, f) -> happiness'
     )
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def b_staticmeth():
+        pass
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def a_staticmeth():
+        pass
+
     def __init__(self, arg):
         self.inst_attr_inline = None  #: an inline documented instance attr
         #: a documented instance attribute

tests/test_extensions/test_ext_autodoc.py

@@ -728,7 +728,9 @@ def test_autodoc_undoc_members(app):
     actual = do_autodoc(app, 'class', 'target.Class', options)
     assert list(filter(lambda l: '::' in l, actual)) == [
         '.. py:class:: Class(arg)',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.a_staticmeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.attr',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.b_staticmeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.docattr',
         '   .. py:method:: Class.excludemeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.inst_attr_comment',
@@ -750,7 +752,9 @@ def test_autodoc_undoc_members(app):
     actual = do_autodoc(app, 'class', 'target.Class', options)
     assert list(filter(lambda l: '::' in l, actual)) == [
         '.. py:class:: Class(arg)',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.a_staticmeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.attr',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.b_staticmeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.docattr',
         '   .. py:method:: Class.excludemeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.inst_attr_comment',
@@ -921,7 +925,9 @@ def test_autodoc_special_members(app):
         '   .. py:method:: Class.__special1__()',
         '   .. py:method:: Class.__special2__()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.__weakref__',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.a_staticmeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.attr',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.b_staticmeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.docattr',
         '   .. py:method:: Class.excludemeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.inst_attr_comment',
@@ -1200,6 +1206,8 @@ def test_autodoc_member_order(app):
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.mdocattr',
         '   .. py:method:: Class.roger(a, *, b=2, c=3, d=4, e=5, f=6)',
         '   .. py:method:: Class.moore(a, e, f) -> happiness',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.b_staticmeth()',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.a_staticmeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.inst_attr_inline',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.inst_attr_comment',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.inst_attr_string',
@@ -1216,10 +1224,15 @@ def test_autodoc_member_order(app):
     actual = do_autodoc(app, 'class', 'target.Class', options)
     assert list(filter(lambda l: '::' in l, actual)) == [
         '.. py:class:: Class(arg)',
-        '   .. py:method:: Class.excludemeth()',
-        '   .. py:method:: Class.meth()',
+        # class methods
         '   .. py:method:: Class.moore(a, e, f) -> happiness',
         '   .. py:method:: Class.roger(a, *, b=2, c=3, d=4, e=5, f=6)',
+        # static methods
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.a_staticmeth()',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.b_staticmeth()',
+        # regular methods
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.excludemeth()',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.meth()',
         '   .. py:method:: Class.skipmeth()',
         '   .. py:method:: Class.undocmeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class._private_inst_attr',
@@ -1243,7 +1256,9 @@ def test_autodoc_member_order(app):
     assert list(filter(lambda l: '::' in l, actual)) == [
         '.. py:class:: Class(arg)',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class._private_inst_attr',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.a_staticmeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.attr',
+        '   .. py:method:: Class.b_staticmeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.docattr',
         '   .. py:method:: Class.excludemeth()',
         '   .. py:attribute:: Class.inst_attr_comment',