[Numpy-discussion] missing array type

[Tim Hochberg]

Sasha wrote:

>On 2/28/06, Colin J. Williams <cjw at sympatico.ca> wrote:
>  
>
>>...
>>    
>>
>>>>Would it not be better to have def zeroes(..., zeroStrides= False):
>>>>and a= zeros(..., zeroStrides= True)?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>This is equivalent to what I proposed: xzeros(shape) and xones(shape)
>>>functions as a shorthand to ndarray(shape, strides=(0,)*len(shape))
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>Wot, more names to remember? [sorry, I can't give you the graphic to go
>>aling with this. :-) ]
>>    
>>
>
>Oh, please - you don't have to be so emphatic.  Your solution above
>(adding zeroStrides parameter) would require a much more arbitrary
>name to remember.  Even worse, someone will write zeros(shape, int,
>False, True) to mean zeros(shape, dtype=int, fortran=False,
>zeroStrides=True) and anyone reading that code will have to look up
>the manual to understand what each boolean means.
>
>Boolean parameters are generally considered bad design.  For example,
>it would be much better to have array(..., memory_layout='Fortran')
>instead of current array(...,fortran=True).  (Well, fortran=True is
>not that bad, but fortran=False is really puzzling - if it is not
>fortran - what is it?)  Arguably even better solution would be
>array(..., strides = fortran_strides(shape)), but that's a different
>story.
>  
>
I agree with this.

>The names xzeros and xones are a natural choice because the
>functionality they provide is very similar to what xrange provides
>compared to range: memory saving way to achieve the same result.
>  
>
But not this.

I don't think using xrange as a template for naming anything is a good 
idea. If xrange were being added to Python now, it would almost 
certainly be called irange and live in itertools. I have a strong 
suspicion that the *name* xrange will go the way of the dodo eventually, 
although the functionality will survive in some other form.

Also, while I can see how there might well be some good uses for 
zero-stride arrays, I'm having a hard time getting excited by by xzeros 
and xones. The only applications I can come up with can already be done 
in more efficient ways without using xones and xzeros.

[Let me apologize in advance if I missed a compelling example earlier in 
this thread -- I just got back from vacation and I may have missed 
something in my email reading frenzy]

-tim