[Numpy-discussion] super-packages [was "Hello and my first patch"]

[A. M. Archibald]

On 06/10/06, Jon Peirce <Jonathan.Peirce at nottingham.ac.uk> wrote:
>  > Perhaps that is the best way to move forward along with the work on a
>  > "pylab" super-package.
>
> [...]
>
> But why not scipy? It seems the right name for a super-package.

It does, particularly if (as is being discussed) the current content
of scipy might get subdivided into separately buildable modules
(weave, fortran, non-fortran, say). scipy would then refer to the lot
- numpy, matplotlib, weave, scipy-fortran, scipy-nonfortran, and any
others that seem essential.

Is setting out to create a "MATLAB replacement" a good goal? I think
so. Really the goal should be to create a useful tool for scientists,
but I think MATLAB is clearly already that, so (at first) it can serve
as a definite objective. Of course, anyone who wants to make scipy
*better* than MATLAB should be warmly encouraged...

A. M. Archibald