[Numpy-discussion] PyArray_DescrConverter - alignment / trailingunused bytes

[Travis Oliphant]

Martin Wiechert wrote:
> On Friday 15 September 2006 19:14, Travis Oliphant wrote:
>   
>> Martin Wiechert wrote:
>>     
>>> Thanks Albert! Do you also know the corresponding C-API function? It
>>> cannot be PyArray_DescrConverter (PyObject *, PyArray_Descr **), whose
>>> signature has no "align", right?
>>>       
>> The DescrConverter function is meant for "O&"-style conversions.  It
>> can't accept an align function.  We could possibly add something to the
>> converter to allow specification of alignment through the object to be
>> converted.
>>
>>     
>
> I begin to see the light....
>
> For dictionaries one could maybe just add an optional key "align".
> Also an optional key "elsize" or "itemsize" to force the total size of the 
> record may sometimes be useful. E.g. one may want to faithfully map a given C 
> struct. (That's why I was asking for trailing unused bytes.)
>
> But I understand that other things have higher priority.
>
>   
>> Or, you can just call the __new__ method of the PyArrayDescr_Type object
>>
>> res = PyObject_CallMethod((PyObject *)&PyArrayDescr_Type, "__new__",
>> "Oi", dict_object, 1))
>>
>> or call the tp->new method directly:
>>
>> args = Py_BuildValue("Oi", dict_object, 1);
>> PyArrayDescr_Type->tp_new(&PyArrayDescr_Type, args, NULL);
>> Py_DECREF(args);
>>
>>     
>
> Thank you! I'll try this.
>
>   
>> (I think passing in NULL for the keywords is O.K., but I haven't checked
>> it).
>>
>> -Travis
>>
>>     
>
> One final question. To me the repr of a dtype with gaps is a little bit 
> puzzling:
>
>   
>>>> dtype ({'names': ['a', 'b', 'c'], 'formats': ['<a4', '<f8', '<f4'], 
>>>>         
> 'offsets': [0, 16, 24]})
> dtype([('a', '|S4'), ('', '|V12'), ('b', '<f8'), ('', '|V12'), ('c', '<f4')])
>
> There should be no gap between "b" and "c" but still the repr has ('', '|V12') 
> between them. Am I missing something?
>   
There was a bug I just fixed in the representation of these structures 
with gaps.  It should be fixed in SVN, now.


-Travis