[Numpy-discussion] Backwards-incompatible improvements to numpy.random.RandomState

[Ralf Gommers]

On Sun, May 24, 2015 at 2:41 PM, Alan G Isaac <alan.isaac at gmail.com> wrote:

> I echo Ralf's question.
> For those who need replicability, the proposed upgrade path seems quite
> radical.
>

It's not radical, and my question was already answered. Nothing changes if
you are doing:

   np.random.seed(1234)
   np.random.any_random_sample_generator_func()

Values only change if you leave out the call to seed(), which you should
never do if you care about replicability.

Ralf



> Also, I would prefer to have the new functionality introduced beside the
> existing
> implementation of RandomState, with an announcement that RandomState
> will change in the next major numpy version number.  This will allow
> everyone
> who wants to to change now, without requiring that users attend to minor
> numpy version numbers if they want replicability.
>
> I think this is what is required by semantic versioning.
>
> Alan Isaac
>
>
>
> On 5/24/2015 4:59 AM, Ralf Gommers wrote:
> > the reasoning on this point is shaky. np.random.seed() is *very* widely
> used, and works fine for a test suite where each test that needs random
> > numbers calls seed(...) and is run with nose. Can you explain why you
> need to touch the behavior of the global methods in order to make
> > RandomState(version=) work?
>
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