[3.12] GH-119054: Add "Querying file type and status" section to pathlib docs (GH-119055) (#119952)

Add a dedicated subsection for `Path.stat()`-related methods, specifically
`stat()`, `lstat()`, `exists()`, `is_*()`, and `samefile()`.

(cherry picked from commit 81d6336)

Author: barneygale

Doc/library/pathlib.rst

@@ -790,12 +790,8 @@ bugs or failures in your application)::
    NotImplementedError: cannot instantiate 'WindowsPath' on your system
 
 
-Methods
-^^^^^^^
-
-Concrete paths provide the following methods in addition to pure paths
-methods.  Many of these methods can raise an :exc:`OSError` if a system
-call fails (for example because the path doesn't exist).
+Querying file type and status
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
 .. versionchanged:: 3.8
 
@@ -807,29 +803,6 @@ call fails (for example because the path doesn't exist).
    unrepresentable at the OS level.
 
 
-.. classmethod:: Path.cwd()
-
-   Return a new path object representing the current directory (as returned
-   by :func:`os.getcwd`)::
-
-      >>> Path.cwd()
-      PosixPath('/home/antoine/pathlib')
-
-
-.. classmethod:: Path.home()
-
-   Return a new path object representing the user's home directory (as
-   returned by :func:`os.path.expanduser` with ``~`` construct). If the home
-   directory can't be resolved, :exc:`RuntimeError` is raised.
-
-   ::
-
-      >>> Path.home()
-      PosixPath('/home/antoine')
-
-   .. versionadded:: 3.5
-
-
 .. method:: Path.stat(*, follow_symlinks=True)
 
    Return a :class:`os.stat_result` object containing information about this path, like :func:`os.stat`.
@@ -849,25 +822,12 @@ call fails (for example because the path doesn't exist).
    .. versionchanged:: 3.10
       The *follow_symlinks* parameter was added.
 
-.. method:: Path.chmod(mode, *, follow_symlinks=True)
-
-   Change the file mode and permissions, like :func:`os.chmod`.
-
-   This method normally follows symlinks. Some Unix flavours support changing
-   permissions on the symlink itself; on these platforms you may add the
-   argument ``follow_symlinks=False``, or use :meth:`~Path.lchmod`.
 
-   ::
+.. method:: Path.lstat()
 
-      >>> p = Path('setup.py')
-      >>> p.stat().st_mode
-      33277
-      >>> p.chmod(0o444)
-      >>> p.stat().st_mode
-      33060
+   Like :meth:`Path.stat` but, if the path points to a symbolic link, return
+   the symbolic link's information rather than its target's.
 
-   .. versionchanged:: 3.10
-      The *follow_symlinks* parameter was added.
 
 .. method:: Path.exists(*, follow_symlinks=True)
 
@@ -890,69 +850,14 @@ call fails (for example because the path doesn't exist).
    .. versionchanged:: 3.12
       The *follow_symlinks* parameter was added.
 
-.. method:: Path.expanduser()
-
-   Return a new path with expanded ``~`` and ``~user`` constructs,
-   as returned by :meth:`os.path.expanduser`. If a home directory can't be
-   resolved, :exc:`RuntimeError` is raised.
-
-   ::
-
-      >>> p = PosixPath('~/films/Monty Python')
-      >>> p.expanduser()
-      PosixPath('/home/eric/films/Monty Python')
-
-   .. versionadded:: 3.5
-
-
-.. method:: Path.glob(pattern, *, case_sensitive=None)
-
-   Glob the given relative *pattern* in the directory represented by this path,
-   yielding all matching files (of any kind)::
-
-      >>> sorted(Path('.').glob('*.py'))
-      [PosixPath('pathlib.py'), PosixPath('setup.py'), PosixPath('test_pathlib.py')]
-      >>> sorted(Path('.').glob('*/*.py'))
-      [PosixPath('docs/conf.py')]
-
-   Patterns are the same as for :mod:`fnmatch`, with the addition of "``**``"
-   which means "this directory and all subdirectories, recursively".  In other
-   words, it enables recursive globbing::
-
-      >>> sorted(Path('.').glob('**/*.py'))
-      [PosixPath('build/lib/pathlib.py'),
-       PosixPath('docs/conf.py'),
-       PosixPath('pathlib.py'),
-       PosixPath('setup.py'),
-       PosixPath('test_pathlib.py')]
-
-   This method calls :meth:`Path.is_dir` on the top-level directory and
-   propagates any :exc:`OSError` exception that is raised. Subsequent
-   :exc:`OSError` exceptions from scanning directories are suppressed.
-
-   By default, or when the *case_sensitive* keyword-only argument is set to
-   ``None``, this method matches paths using platform-specific casing rules:
-   typically, case-sensitive on POSIX, and case-insensitive on Windows.
-   Set *case_sensitive* to ``True`` or ``False`` to override this behaviour.
-
-   .. note::
-      Using the "``**``" pattern in large directory trees may consume
-      an inordinate amount of time.
-
-   .. audit-event:: pathlib.Path.glob self,pattern pathlib.Path.glob
-
-   .. versionchanged:: 3.11
-      Return only directories if *pattern* ends with a pathname components
-      separator (:data:`~os.sep` or :data:`~os.altsep`).
-
-   .. versionchanged:: 3.12
-      The *case_sensitive* parameter was added.
 
+.. method:: Path.is_file()
 
-.. method:: Path.group()
+   Return ``True`` if the path points to a regular file (or a symbolic link
+   pointing to a regular file), ``False`` if it points to another kind of file.
 
-   Return the name of the group owning the file.  :exc:`KeyError` is raised
-   if the file's gid isn't found in the system database.
+   ``False`` is also returned if the path doesn't exist or is a broken symlink;
+   other errors (such as permission errors) are propagated.
 
 
 .. method:: Path.is_dir()
@@ -964,13 +869,12 @@ call fails (for example because the path doesn't exist).
    other errors (such as permission errors) are propagated.
 
 
-.. method:: Path.is_file()
+.. method:: Path.is_symlink()
 
-   Return ``True`` if the path points to a regular file (or a symbolic link
-   pointing to a regular file), ``False`` if it points to another kind of file.
+   Return ``True`` if the path points to a symbolic link, ``False`` otherwise.
 
-   ``False`` is also returned if the path doesn't exist or is a broken symlink;
-   other errors (such as permission errors) are propagated.
+   ``False`` is also returned if the path doesn't exist; other errors (such
+   as permission errors) are propagated.
 
 
 .. method:: Path.is_junction()
@@ -998,14 +902,6 @@ call fails (for example because the path doesn't exist).
       Windows support was added.
 
 
-.. method:: Path.is_symlink()
-
-   Return ``True`` if the path points to a symbolic link, ``False`` otherwise.
-
-   ``False`` is also returned if the path doesn't exist; other errors (such
-   as permission errors) are propagated.
-
-
 .. method:: Path.is_socket()
 
    Return ``True`` if the path points to a Unix socket (or a symbolic link
@@ -1042,6 +938,143 @@ call fails (for example because the path doesn't exist).
    other errors (such as permission errors) are propagated.
 
 
+.. method:: Path.samefile(other_path)
+
+   Return whether this path points to the same file as *other_path*, which
+   can be either a Path object, or a string.  The semantics are similar
+   to :func:`os.path.samefile` and :func:`os.path.samestat`.
+
+   An :exc:`OSError` can be raised if either file cannot be accessed for some
+   reason.
+
+   ::
+
+      >>> p = Path('spam')
+      >>> q = Path('eggs')
+      >>> p.samefile(q)
+      False
+      >>> p.samefile('spam')
+      True
+
+   .. versionadded:: 3.5
+
+
+Other methods
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Many of these methods can raise an :exc:`OSError` if a system call fails (for
+example because the path doesn't exist).
+
+
+.. classmethod:: Path.cwd()
+
+   Return a new path object representing the current directory (as returned
+   by :func:`os.getcwd`)::
+
+      >>> Path.cwd()
+      PosixPath('/home/antoine/pathlib')
+
+
+.. classmethod:: Path.home()
+
+   Return a new path object representing the user's home directory (as
+   returned by :func:`os.path.expanduser` with ``~`` construct). If the home
+   directory can't be resolved, :exc:`RuntimeError` is raised.
+
+   ::
+
+      >>> Path.home()
+      PosixPath('/home/antoine')
+
+   .. versionadded:: 3.5
+
+
+.. method:: Path.chmod(mode, *, follow_symlinks=True)
+
+   Change the file mode and permissions, like :func:`os.chmod`.
+
+   This method normally follows symlinks. Some Unix flavours support changing
+   permissions on the symlink itself; on these platforms you may add the
+   argument ``follow_symlinks=False``, or use :meth:`~Path.lchmod`.
+
+   ::
+
+      >>> p = Path('setup.py')
+      >>> p.stat().st_mode
+      33277
+      >>> p.chmod(0o444)
+      >>> p.stat().st_mode
+      33060
+
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.10
+      The *follow_symlinks* parameter was added.
+
+
+.. method:: Path.expanduser()
+
+   Return a new path with expanded ``~`` and ``~user`` constructs,
+   as returned by :meth:`os.path.expanduser`. If a home directory can't be
+   resolved, :exc:`RuntimeError` is raised.
+
+   ::
+
+      >>> p = PosixPath('~/films/Monty Python')
+      >>> p.expanduser()
+      PosixPath('/home/eric/films/Monty Python')
+
+   .. versionadded:: 3.5
+
+
+.. method:: Path.glob(pattern, *, case_sensitive=None)
+
+   Glob the given relative *pattern* in the directory represented by this path,
+   yielding all matching files (of any kind)::
+
+      >>> sorted(Path('.').glob('*.py'))
+      [PosixPath('pathlib.py'), PosixPath('setup.py'), PosixPath('test_pathlib.py')]
+      >>> sorted(Path('.').glob('*/*.py'))
+      [PosixPath('docs/conf.py')]
+
+   Patterns are the same as for :mod:`fnmatch`, with the addition of "``**``"
+   which means "this directory and all subdirectories, recursively".  In other
+   words, it enables recursive globbing::
+
+      >>> sorted(Path('.').glob('**/*.py'))
+      [PosixPath('build/lib/pathlib.py'),
+       PosixPath('docs/conf.py'),
+       PosixPath('pathlib.py'),
+       PosixPath('setup.py'),
+       PosixPath('test_pathlib.py')]
+
+   This method calls :meth:`Path.is_dir` on the top-level directory and
+   propagates any :exc:`OSError` exception that is raised. Subsequent
+   :exc:`OSError` exceptions from scanning directories are suppressed.
+
+   By default, or when the *case_sensitive* keyword-only argument is set to
+   ``None``, this method matches paths using platform-specific casing rules:
+   typically, case-sensitive on POSIX, and case-insensitive on Windows.
+   Set *case_sensitive* to ``True`` or ``False`` to override this behaviour.
+
+   .. note::
+      Using the "``**``" pattern in large directory trees may consume
+      an inordinate amount of time.
+
+   .. audit-event:: pathlib.Path.glob self,pattern pathlib.Path.glob
+
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.11
+      Return only directories if *pattern* ends with a pathname components
+      separator (:data:`~os.sep` or :data:`~os.altsep`).
+
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.12
+      The *case_sensitive* parameter was added.
+
+
+.. method:: Path.group()
+
+   Return the name of the group owning the file.  :exc:`KeyError` is raised
+   if the file's gid isn't found in the system database.
+
+
 .. method:: Path.iterdir()
 
    When the path points to a directory, yield path objects of the directory
@@ -1164,12 +1197,6 @@ call fails (for example because the path doesn't exist).
    symbolic link's mode is changed rather than its target's.
 
 
-.. method:: Path.lstat()
-
-   Like :meth:`Path.stat` but, if the path points to a symbolic link, return
-   the symbolic link's information rather than its target's.
-
-
 .. method:: Path.mkdir(mode=0o777, parents=False, exist_ok=False)
 
    Create a new directory at this given path.  If *mode* is given, it is
@@ -1367,27 +1394,6 @@ call fails (for example because the path doesn't exist).
    Remove this directory.  The directory must be empty.
 
 
-.. method:: Path.samefile(other_path)
-
-   Return whether this path points to the same file as *other_path*, which
-   can be either a Path object, or a string.  The semantics are similar
-   to :func:`os.path.samefile` and :func:`os.path.samestat`.
-
-   An :exc:`OSError` can be raised if either file cannot be accessed for some
-   reason.
-
-   ::
-
-      >>> p = Path('spam')
-      >>> q = Path('eggs')
-      >>> p.samefile(q)
-      False
-      >>> p.samefile('spam')
-      True
-
-   .. versionadded:: 3.5
-
-
 .. method:: Path.symlink_to(target, target_is_directory=False)
 
    Make this path a symbolic link pointing to *target*.