[Numpy-discussion] Numeric3

[Robert Kern]

Travis Oliphant wrote:

> We talk about some version of the arrayobject getting into the core.  
> Guido is not going to accept FFT's and LinearAlgebra (or maybe not even 
> ufuncs).  Towards this end, I prefer  to separate the ideas of the 
> arrayobject from the things you can do with it, which is why I believe 
> scipy (with appropriate slimmed down versions) is a better place to 
> discuss fft's, linear algebra, and the like. 

I think this is the point that some people are missing. Numeric3 is 
intended to be the multiarray object proposed to go into the standard 
library. FFTs will not go into the standard library. QR decompositions 
will not go into the standard library.

One can always support the extra packages externally.

So for people who need LinearAlgebra, et al., their current situation is 
this:

   ThirdPartyPackage depends on Numeric and a standard Python
   distribution.

Their new situation would be this:

   ThirdPartyPackage depends on NumericExtras and a standard Python
   distribution.

If you need to depend on these modules with their current interfaces, 
then someone needs to step up to support it. This support probably must 
come from the people who need the current interfaces. For far too long, 
the responsibility of maintaining Numeric and its extras has been 
saddled on people who don't have (current) interest in them.

That said, it might be a better use of energy to make the build process 
of a lite scipy easier and standardized.

-- 
Robert Kern
rkern at ucsd.edu

"In the fields of hell where the grass grows high
  Are the graves of dreams allowed to die."
   -- Richard Harter