Ensure no warnings are found in the NEWS file before a given line number

.github/workflows/reusable-docs.yml

@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ jobs:
         python Doc/tools/check-warnings.py \
           --annotate-diff '${{ env.branch_base }}' '${{ env.branch_pr }}' \
           --fail-if-regression \
-          --fail-if-improved
+          --fail-if-improved \
+          --fail-if-news-nit 150
 
   # This build doesn't use problem matchers or check annotations
   build_doc_oldest_supported_sphinx:

Doc/tools/check-warnings.py

@@ -239,6 +239,21 @@ def fail_if_improved(
     return 0
 
 
+def fail_if_news_nit(warnings: list[str], threshold: int) -> int:
+    """
+    Ensure no warnings are found in the NEWS file before a given line number.
+    """
+    news_nits = (warning for warning in warnings if "NEWS" in warning)
+    found = 0
+    for nit in news_nits:
+        nit_line_number = int(nit.split(":")[1])
+        if nit_line_number <= threshold:
+            print(nit)
+            found += 1
+
+    return -1 if found else 0
+
+
 def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument(
@@ -258,6 +273,12 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
         action="store_true",
         help="Fail if new files with no nits are found",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--fail-if-news-nit",
+        metavar="threshold",
+        type=int,
+        help="Fail if NEWS nit found before threshold line number",
+    )
 
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)
     if args.annotate_diff is not None and len(args.annotate_diff) > 2:
@@ -298,6 +319,9 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
     if args.fail_if_improved:
         exit_code += fail_if_improved(files_with_expected_nits, files_with_nits)
 
+    if args.fail_if_news_nit:
+        exit_code += fail_if_news_nit(warnings, args.fail_if_news_nit)
+
     return exit_code