[PYTHON MATRIX-SIG] type coercion one more time

James Hugunin jjh@Goldilocks.LCS.MIT.EDU
Thu, 25 Jan 96 12:30:24 EST


   From: hinsenk@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Hinsen Konrad)

	Also, I don't recall anyone presenting a list of 'nice' names for
      the Matrix functions as Konrad has been advocating. I think having
      these is a good idea; the type code that we have now has always seemed
      somehow counter to (my view of) the Python 'do-it-the-Right-Way'
      attitude.  If I actually list them all out here, maybe this will force
      the issue and start some discussion. Comments on the following?

	 Array_Char, Array_UChar
	 Array_Short, Array_UShort
	 Array_Integer,Array_UInteger,
	 Array_Float, Array_Double,
	 Array_FloatComplex, Array_DoubleComplex

      'Unsigned' instead of 'U'? XArray instead of Array_X? BTW, is the C

   Do we have unsigned types? I proposed a similar list of names a
   while ago, using "XArray" instead of "Array_X". I prefer that form
   because it is closer to the real-life expressions "integer array",
   "float array" etc. But the main point is to get rid of these
   silly type codes!

Currently the types are:

character
unsigned byte
signed byte
signed short
signed int
signed long
float
double
complex float
complex double

If you really want to add unsigned shorts, longs, and ints, I'd
obviously be willing, but the whole type collection already feels a
little bit large, so I'd rather wait and see if anybody ever NEEDS
them.

-Jim

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