[Matrix-SIG] Using existing packages as back-ends?

[Andrew Sterian]

Hi,

I'm new to the Matrix-SIG so I apologize if the following has already
been dealt with. I looked back a couple of months in the archives and
didn't see anything relevant, so here goes.

With respect to expanding the functionality of NumPy (modules, plotting, etc.)
it seems to me that it would be easiest to leverage existing free software
that is already mature and has already dealt with many of these issues
in a standalone context. I'm thinking of MATLAB-esque programs like
RLab, SciLab, and Octave.

Would it not be the quickest path of growth to work on making NumPy
an Python interface to one (or more) of these packages rather than
redeveloping everything from scratch?

Again, I apologize if this has already been answered, but I'd like to know
the answer too :)

Andrew.  asterian@umich.edu | Me: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~asterian
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