Add the autodoc_use_type_comments option (#13269)

CHANGES.rst

@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ Features added
   and rename the :rst:dir:`autosummary` directive's ``nosignatures``option
   to :rst:dir:`no-signatures``.
   Patch by Adam Turner.
+* #13269: Added the option to disable the use of type comments in
+  via the new :confval:`autodoc_use_type_comments` option,
+  which defaults to ``True`` for backwards compatibility.
+  The default will change to ``False`` in Sphinx 10.
+  Patch by Adam Turner.
 
 Bugs fixed
 ----------

doc/usage/extensions/autodoc.rst

@@ -1230,6 +1230,26 @@ There are also config values that you can set:
       Added as an experimental feature.  This will be integrated into autodoc core
       in the future.
 
+.. confval:: autodoc_use_type_comments
+   :type: :code-py:`bool`
+   :default: :code-py:`True`
+
+   Attempt to read ``# type: ...`` comments from source code
+   to supplement missing type annotations, if True.
+
+   This can be disabled if your source code does not use type comments,
+   for example if it exclusively uses type annotations or
+   does not use type hints of any kind.
+
+   .. versionadded:: 8.2
+
+      Added the option to disable the use of type comments in
+      via the new :confval:`!autodoc_use_type_comments` option,
+      which defaults to :code-py:`True` for backwards compatibility.
+      The default will change to :code-py:`False` in Sphinx 10.
+
+      .. xref RemovedInSphinx10Warning
+
 .. confval:: autodoc_warningiserror
    :type: :code-py:`bool`
    :default: :code-py:`True`

sphinx/ext/autodoc/type_comment.py

@@ -131,6 +131,9 @@ def update_annotations_using_type_comments(
     app: Sphinx, obj: Any, bound_method: bool
 ) -> None:
     """Update annotations info of *obj* using type_comments."""
+    if not app.config.autodoc_use_type_comments:
+        return
+
     try:
         type_sig = get_type_comment(obj, bound_method)
         if type_sig:
@@ -152,6 +155,9 @@ def update_annotations_using_type_comments(
 
 
 def setup(app: Sphinx) -> ExtensionMetadata:
+    app.add_config_value(
+        'autodoc_use_type_comments', True, 'env', types=frozenset({bool})
+    )
     app.connect(
         'autodoc-before-process-signature', update_annotations_using_type_comments
     )