[PYTHON MATRIX-SIG] RubberIndex

[Konrad HINSEN]

   In IDL, Tela and Yorick using a single index or slice defaults to
   indexing an array in flattened form.  Otherwise, the number of actual
   indexes used must equal the rank.

I won't deny that this has some practical advantages, but it violates
the principle that an array is first of all a structured collection
of data with a definite shape. Changing this structure should always
be an explicit operation, not hidden in a special rule for indexing.
For me it still makes more sense to consider an array equivalent
to a nested list with the same structure.

   Like other array languages, if more than one index is used without a
   rubber index and there are fewer indexes than the array rank then an
   error should result.

I certainly agree on that.

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