[Numpy-discussion] create numerical arrays from strings

[RayS]

At 05:46 AM 2/6/2014, Alan G Isaac wrote:
>Compare np.mat('1 2; 3 4')
>to np.array([[1, 2], [3, 4]])
>for readability and intimidation factor.
>Little things matter when getting started
>with students who lack programming background.

my $.02:
>'1 2; 3 4'
is a non-obvious and non-intuitive way to describe a 2D array or 
matrix - and try explaining later that the values are actually stored 
in memory as 1,3,2,4 and why and watch the freshman chins drop...

 >>> np.array([[1,2],
...           [3,4]])
...
array([[1, 2],
        [3, 4]])
Why use both significant whitespace and punctuation to separate elements?

I've billed many months rewriting old Matlab code into Python - 
please don't saddle future engineers with a closed, non-objective, 
expensive product based on FORTRAN and written in C that breaks old 
code with every release. </rant>
There are so many fine, easy tutorials like 
http://wiki.scipy.org/Tentative_NumPy_Tutorial
http://www.loria.fr/~rougier/teaching/matplotlib/

- Ray



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