[Numpy-discussion] Matrix construction

[Keith Goodman]

On 6/22/06, Bill Baxter <wbaxter at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 6/22/06, Ed Schofield <schofield at ftw.at> wrote:
>
> >
> > On 22/06/2006, at 12:40 AM, Bill Baxter wrote:
> >
> > > Actually I think using mat() (just an alias for the matrix
> > > constructor) is a bad way to do it.  That mat() (and most others on
> > > that page) should probably be replaced with asmatrix() to avoid the
> > > copy.
> >
> > Perhaps the 'mat' function should become an alias for 'asmatrix'.
> > I've thought this for a while.
>
>
> That makes sense to me.  As far as I know, asmatrix() defaults to calling
> the constructor if it can't snarf the memory of the object being passed in.
>
> So, go on, shoot Ed and me down! :-)

I can anticipate one problem: the Pirates will want their three-letter
abbreviation for asarray.

Will functions like rand and eye always return arrays? Or will there
be a day when you can tell numpy that you are working with matrices
and then it will return matrices when you call rand, eye, etc?