MAINT: Move module to be `np.dtypes` and add release note

9 files changed, 29 insertions, 25 deletions

diff --git a/numpy/__init__.py b/numpy/__init__.py
index a0aa01854..ae8631387 100644
--- a/numpy/__init__.py
+++ b/numpy/__init__.py
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ else:
     from .core import *
     from . import compat
     from . import exceptions
-    from . import types
+    from . import dtypes
     from . import lib
     # NOTE: to be revisited following future namespace cleanup.
     # See gh-14454 and gh-15672 for discussion.
diff --git a/numpy/core/__init__.py b/numpy/core/__init__.py
index 5193a694c..08e717363 100644
--- a/numpy/core/__init__.py
+++ b/numpy/core/__init__.py
@@ -143,11 +143,11 @@ def _DType_reconstruct(scalar_type):
 
 def _DType_reduce(DType):
     # As types/classes, most DTypes can simply be pickled by their name:
-    if not DType._legacy or DType.__module__ == "numpy.types":
+    if not DType._legacy or DType.__module__ == "numpy.dtypes":
         return DType.__name__
 
     # However, user defined legacy dtypes (like rational) do not end up in
-    # `numpy.types` as module and do not have a public class at all.
+    # `numpy.dtypes` as module and do not have a public class at all.
     # For these, we pickle them by reconstructing them from the scalar type:
     scalar_type = DType.type
     return _DType_reconstruct, (scalar_type,)
diff --git a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/arraytypes.c.src b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/arraytypes.c.src
index 537234358..b84625c77 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/arraytypes.c.src
+++ b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/arraytypes.c.src
@@ -4658,9 +4658,9 @@ set_typeinfo(PyObject *dict)
      */
     if (dtypemeta_wrap_legacy_descriptor(
             _builtin_descrs[NPY_@NAME@],
-            "numpy.types." NPY_@NAME@_Name "DType",
+            "numpy.dtypes." NPY_@NAME@_Name "DType",
 #ifdef NPY_@NAME@_alias
-            "numpy.types." NPY_@NAME@_Alias "DType"
+            "numpy.dtypes." NPY_@NAME@_Alias "DType"
 #else
             NULL
 #endif
diff --git a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/dtypemeta.c b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/dtypemeta.c
index 2abbf394e..2052f17fd 100644
--- a/numpy/core/src/multiarray/dtypemeta.c
+++ b/numpy/core/src/multiarray/dtypemeta.c
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ dtypemeta_wrap_legacy_descriptor(PyArray_Descr *descr,
             .tp_flags = Py_TPFLAGS_DEFAULT,
             .tp_base = &PyArrayDescr_Type,
             .tp_new = (newfunc)legacy_dtype_default_new,
-            .tp_doc = ( 
+            .tp_doc = (
                 "DType class corresponding to the scalar type and dtype of "
                 "the same name.\n\n"
                 "Please see `numpy.dtype` for the typical way to create\n"
@@ -895,7 +895,7 @@ dtypemeta_wrap_legacy_descriptor(PyArray_Descr *descr,
     /* And it to the types submodule if it is a builtin dtype */
     if (!PyTypeNum_ISUSERDEF(descr->type_num)) {
         static PyObject *add_dtype_helper = NULL;
-        npy_cache_import("numpy.types", "_add_dtype_helper", &add_dtype_helper);
+        npy_cache_import("numpy.dtypes", "_add_dtype_helper", &add_dtype_helper);
         if (add_dtype_helper == NULL) {
             return -1;
         }
diff --git a/numpy/core/tests/test_dtype.py b/numpy/core/tests/test_dtype.py
index 107b70835..57831f46f 100644
--- a/numpy/core/tests/test_dtype.py
+++ b/numpy/core/tests/test_dtype.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import types
 from typing import Any
 
 import numpy as np
-import numpy.types
+import numpy.dtypes
 from numpy.core._rational_tests import rational
 from numpy.core._multiarray_tests import create_custom_field_dtype
 from numpy.testing import (
@@ -1572,9 +1572,9 @@ class TestDTypeClasses:
                 dt_name += "c"
             sc_name = dtype.type.__name__
             assert dt_name == sc_name.strip("_")
-            assert type(dtype).__module__ == "numpy.types"
+            assert type(dtype).__module__ == "numpy.dtypes"
 
-            assert getattr(numpy.types, type(dtype).__name__) is type(dtype)
+            assert getattr(numpy.dtypes, type(dtype).__name__) is type(dtype)
         else:
             assert type(dtype).__name__ == "dtype[rational]"
             assert type(dtype).__module__ == "numpy"
@@ -1616,7 +1616,7 @@ class TestDTypeClasses:
     @pytest.mark.parametrize("int_", ["UInt", "Int"])
     @pytest.mark.parametrize("size", [8, 16, 32, 64])
     def test_integer_alias_names(self, int_, size):
-        DType = getattr(numpy.types, f"{int_}{size}DType")
+        DType = getattr(numpy.dtypes, f"{int_}{size}DType")
         sctype = getattr(numpy, f"{int_.lower()}{size}")
         assert DType.type is sctype
         assert DType.__name__.lower().removesuffix("dtype") == sctype.__name__
@@ -1625,7 +1625,7 @@ class TestDTypeClasses:
             ["Half", "Float", "Double", "CFloat", "CDouble"])
     def test_float_alias_names(self, name):
         with pytest.raises(AttributeError):
-            getattr(numpy.types, name + "DType") is numpy.types.Float16DType
+            getattr(numpy.dtypes, name + "DType") is numpy.dtypes.Float16DType
 
 
 class TestFromCTypes:
diff --git a/numpy/types.py b/numpy/dtypes.py
index d58e753bc..cde18933c 100644
--- a/numpy/types.py
+++ b/numpy/dtypes.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 """
-Names of builtin NumPy Types (:mod:`numpy.types`)
-==================================================
+DType classes and utility (:mod:`numpy.dtypes`)
+===============================================
+
+This module is home to specific dtypes related functionality and their classes.
+For more general information about dtypes, also see `numpy.dtype` and
+:ref:`arrays.dtypes`.
 
 Similar to the builtin ``types`` module, this submodule defines types (classes)
 that are not widely used directly.
@@ -15,10 +19,10 @@ DType classes
 -------------
 
 The following are the classes of the corresponding NumPy dtype instances and
-NumPy scalar types.  The classe can be used for ``isisntance`` checks but are
-otherwise not typically useful as of now.
-
-For general information see `numpy.dtype` and :ref:`arrays.dtypes`.
+NumPy scalar types.  The classe can be used for ``isinstance`` checks and can
+also be instantiated or used directly.  Direct use of these classes is not
+typical, since their scalar counterparts (e.g. ``np.float64``) or strings
+like ``"float64"` can be used.
 
 .. list-table::
     :header-rows: 1
@@ -62,12 +66,12 @@ __all__ = []
 def _add_dtype_helper(DType, alias):
     # Function to add DTypes a bit more conveniently without channeling them
     # through `numpy.core._multiarray_umath` namespace or similar.
-    from numpy import types
+    from numpy import dtypes
 
-    setattr(types, DType.__name__, DType)
+    setattr(dtypes, DType.__name__, DType)
     __all__.append(DType.__name__)
 
     if alias:
-        alias = alias.removeprefix("numpy.types.")
-        setattr(types, alias, DType)
+        alias = alias.removeprefix("numpy.dtypes.")
+        setattr(dtypes, alias, DType)
         __all__.append(alias)
diff --git a/numpy/types.pyi b/numpy/dtypes.pyi
index 2f7e846f2..2f7e846f2 100644
--- a/numpy/types.pyi
+++ b/numpy/dtypes.pyi
diff --git a/numpy/meson.build b/numpy/meson.build
index 54331677c..de36e0d49 100644
--- a/numpy/meson.build
+++ b/numpy/meson.build
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ python_sources = [
   'ctypeslib.pyi',
   'exceptions.py',
   'exceptions.pyi',
-  'types.py',
-  'types.pyi',
+  'dtypes.py',
+  'dtypes.pyi',
   'matlib.py',
   'py.typed',
   'version.py'
diff --git a/numpy/tests/test_public_api.py b/numpy/tests/test_public_api.py
index add444558..eaa89aa6f 100644
--- a/numpy/tests/test_public_api.py
+++ b/numpy/tests/test_public_api.py
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ PUBLIC_MODULES = ['numpy.' + s for s in [
     "doc",
     "doc.constants",
     "doc.ufuncs",
+    "dtypes",
     "exceptions",
     "f2py",
     "fft",
@@ -160,7 +161,6 @@ PUBLIC_MODULES = ['numpy.' + s for s in [
     "random",
     "testing",
     "testing.overrides",
-    "types",
     "typing",
     "typing.mypy_plugin",
     "version",