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

[Konrad Hinsen]

> 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.

The idea seems obvious, but doing it is another matter. What can be
wrapped up is libraries, not complete programs (well, it's not
entirely impossible, but never a good solution). And there are already
some NumPy wrappers for various mathematical libraries out there.
There just aren't any good libraries for many applications.
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Konrad Hinsen                            | E-Mail: hinsen@cnrs-orleans.fr
Centre de Biophysique Moleculaire (CNRS) | Tel.: +33-2.38.25.55.69
Rue Charles Sadron                       | Fax:  +33-2.38.63.15.17
45071 Orleans Cedex 2                    | Deutsch/Esperanto/English/
France                                   | Nederlands/Francais
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------