[Numpy-discussion] zeros() default type in Numeric3

[Robert Kern]

Stephen Walton wrote:
> zeros() in Numeric3 defaults to typecode='d' while in numarray it 
> defaults to typecode=None, which in practice means 'i' by default.  Is 
> this deliberate? Is this desirable?  I'd vote for zeros(), ones() and 
> the like to default to 'i' or 'f' rather than 'd' in the interest of 
> space and speed.

For zeros() and ones(), I don't think space and speed are going to be 
affected by the default typecode. In my use of these functions, I almost 
always need a specific typecode. If I use the default, it's because I 
actually need the default typecode. Unfortunately, I almost always want 
Float and not Int, so all of my code is littered with

   zeros(shape, Float)

I'll bet Travis's code looks the same.

I would *love* to be able to spell these things like

   Float.zeros(shape)
   UInt8.ones(shape)
   Complex32.array(other)
   ...

Then we could leave zeros() and ones() defaults as they are for 
backwards compatibility, and deprecate the functions.

-- 
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