Close #8417: autodoc: :inherited-members: option now takes multiple classes

It allows to suppress inherited members of several classes on the module at
once by specifying the option to `automodule` directive

CHANGES

@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ Features added
 * #9075: autodoc: The default value of :confval:`autodoc_typehints_format` is
   changed to ``'smart'``.  It will suppress the leading module names of
   typehints (ex. ``io.StringIO`` -> ``StringIO``).
+* #8417: autodoc: ``:inherited-members:`` option now takes multiple classes.  It
+  allows to suppress inherited members of several classes on the module at once
+  by specifying the option to :rst:dir:`automodule` directive
 * #10028: Removed internal usages of JavaScript frameworks (jQuery and
   underscore.js) and modernised ``doctools.js`` and ``searchtools.js`` to
   EMCAScript 2018.

doc/usage/extensions/autodoc.rst

@@ -266,6 +266,10 @@ inserting them into the page source under a suitable :rst:dir:`py:module`,
      ``__str__`` will be documented as in the past, but other special method
      that are not implemented in your class ``Foo``.
 
+     Since v5.0, it can take a comma separated list of ancestor classes.  It
+     allows to suppress inherited members of several classes on the module at
+     once by specifying the option to :rst:dir:`automodule` directive.
+
      Note: this will lead to markup errors if the inherited members come from a
      module whose docstrings are not reST formatted.
 
@@ -275,6 +279,10 @@ inserting them into the page source under a suitable :rst:dir:`py:module`,
 
         It takes an ancestor class name as an argument.
 
+     .. versionchanged:: 5.0
+
+        It takes a comma separated list of ancestor class names.
+
    * It's possible to override the signature for explicitly documented callable
      objects (functions, methods, classes) with the regular syntax that will
      override the signature gained from introspection::

sphinx/ext/autodoc/__init__.py

@@ -109,12 +109,14 @@ def exclude_members_option(arg: Any) -> Union[object, Set[str]]:
     return {x.strip() for x in arg.split(',') if x.strip()}
 
 
-def inherited_members_option(arg: Any) -> Union[object, Set[str]]:
+def inherited_members_option(arg: Any) -> Set[str]:
     """Used to convert the :members: option to auto directives."""
     if arg in (None, True):
-        return 'object'
+        return {'object'}
+    elif arg:
+        return set(x.strip() for x in arg.split(','))
     else:
-        return arg
+        return set()
 
 
 def member_order_option(arg: Any) -> Optional[str]:
@@ -680,9 +682,11 @@ class Documenter:
         ``autodoc-skip-member`` event.
         """
         def is_filtered_inherited_member(name: str, obj: Any) -> bool:
+            inherited_members = self.options.inherited_members or set()
+
             if inspect.isclass(self.object):
                 for cls in self.object.__mro__:
-                    if cls.__name__ == self.options.inherited_members and cls != self.object:
+                    if cls.__name__ in inherited_members and cls != self.object:
                         # given member is a member of specified *super class*
                         return True
                     elif name in cls.__dict__:

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

@@ -15,3 +15,8 @@ class Derived(Base):
     def inheritedmeth(self):
         # no docstring here
         pass
+
+
+class MyList(list):
+    def meth(self):
+        """docstring"""

tests/test_ext_autodoc_automodule.py

@@ -113,6 +113,68 @@ def test_automodule_special_members(app):
     ]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.sphinx('html', testroot='ext-autodoc')
+def test_automodule_inherited_members(app):
+    if sys.version_info < (3, 7):
+        args = ''
+    else:
+        args = '(iterable=(), /)'
+
+    options = {'members': None,
+               'undoc-members': None,
+               'inherited-members': 'Base, list'}
+    actual = do_autodoc(app, 'module', 'target.inheritance', options)
+    assert list(actual) == [
+        '',
+        '.. py:module:: target.inheritance',
+        '',
+        '',
+        '.. py:class:: Base()',
+        '   :module: target.inheritance',
+        '',
+        '',
+        '   .. py:method:: Base.inheritedclassmeth()',
+        '      :module: target.inheritance',
+        '      :classmethod:',
+        '',
+        '      Inherited class method.',
+        '',
+        '',
+        '   .. py:method:: Base.inheritedmeth()',
+        '      :module: target.inheritance',
+        '',
+        '      Inherited function.',
+        '',
+        '',
+        '   .. py:method:: Base.inheritedstaticmeth(cls)',
+        '      :module: target.inheritance',
+        '      :staticmethod:',
+        '',
+        '      Inherited static method.',
+        '',
+        '',
+        '.. py:class:: Derived()',
+        '   :module: target.inheritance',
+        '',
+        '',
+        '   .. py:method:: Derived.inheritedmeth()',
+        '      :module: target.inheritance',
+        '',
+        '      Inherited function.',
+        '',
+        '',
+        '.. py:class:: MyList%s' % args,
+        '   :module: target.inheritance',
+        '',
+        '',
+        '   .. py:method:: MyList.meth()',
+        '      :module: target.inheritance',
+        '',
+        '      docstring',
+        '',
+    ]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.sphinx('html', testroot='ext-autodoc',
                     confoverrides={'autodoc_mock_imports': ['missing_module',
                                                             'missing_package1',