[PYTHON MATRIX-SIG] Re: NumPy in Python 1.4

[Geoffrey Furnish]

Thanks for the comments.

David Ascher writes:
 > 	>>> zeros((4,4), Float)
 > 	 0.  0.  0.  0.
 > 	 0.  0.  0.  0.
 > 	 0.  0.  0.  0.
 > 	 0.  0.  0.  0.
 > 
 > This works at least on my machines with the latest alpha release.  If
 > you could try this with the 1.0a5 release and let us know the results,
 > that'd be great.

Yes, well, it wouldn't fail when typed in this way.  It had to be
inside a function.  Shouldda brought an actual clipping in with me
today, but I forgot.  Anyway, I'll try the new release of NumPy.

 > I don't have an argument as to why this was chosen over the old version,
 > but note that you can do:
 > 
 > 	zmin = min(ravel(zz))
 > 
 > I am in the process of updating the tutorial to NumPy to document these
 > changes from the early alpha releases.  

More documentation on NumPy would be most desirable.  Also, I find the
distribution format of the 1.0a2 to be more difficult to work with
than the ones that were for 1.3.  It was easier to use when it was
distributed as a direct patch to the main Python source tree.  I say
this b/c the (maybe just my) goal is to add the numerical extension to
the Python I am using for general system use, not merely to build a
new python with the numerical extension.

 > I for one am sorry that you seem frustrated with NumPy in some respects
 > -- it is however inevitable when dealing with an alpha release -- they
 > are released just to iron out what the best interface is.  I'd recommend
 > that you check out the 1.0a5 release
 > (http://www.sls.lcs.mit.edu/~jjh/numpy) and make comments before it goes
 > beta (and the interface is frozen).

I understand.  OTOH, when a package is in "alpha" for extremely long
periods of time, people are driven to just use it as is, since waiting
is not practical for all users, if the wait will be measured in
months.  I know--I am the author of a package which has been in
"alpha" distribution status for 3+ years.  :-).  Drives even the most
stability conscious of would-be users into alpha testers.

-- 
Geoffrey Furnish		email: furnish@llnl.gov
LLNL X/ICF			phone: 510-424-4227	fax: 510-423-6172

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