[ python-Feature Requests-1190033 ] The array module and the buffer interface

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Feature Requests item #1190033, was opened at 2005-04-26 01:59
Message generated for change (Comment added) made by rhettinger
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Category: Python Library
Group: None
Status: Open
Resolution: None
Priority: 5
Submitted By: Josiah Carlson (josiahcarlson)
Assigned to: Nobody/Anonymous (nobody)
Summary: The array module and the buffer interface

Initial Comment:
It would be terribly convenient if array objects were
willing to take any object supporting the buffer
interface as initialization or extension via
a.fromstring().

They currently offer the buffer interface for other
objects to read/write once the array has been created,
but they do not accept buffers during creation or
extension (except for the typecode 'c').

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>Comment By: Raymond Hettinger (rhettinger)
Date: 2005-06-03 01:42

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I recommend dropping this one and leaving the API alone. 
The improvement would be so small that it isn't worth the
time to review it, test it, and introduce another version
incompatability (something that runs on Py2.5 that won't run
on Py2.4).

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Comment By: Josiah Carlson (josiahcarlson)
Date: 2005-06-02 21:04

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I had assumed str(buf) copied the contents of the buffer,
but I was mistaken (read the source Josiah).

As I stated in my previous post, array.fromstring takes
buffer objects, so the documentation should be updated in
that case, which I can do if desired.

Honestly, I am also +0 on the patch.  I think it is
convenient for completeness sake, but with array.fromstring,
and str(buf) being fast, it isn't necessary.

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Comment By: Raymond Hettinger (rhettinger)
Date: 2005-06-02 20:12

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+0  It is not unreasonable to want to generalize the
interface.  OTOH, the str() workaround is trivial and explicit:

>>> buf = buffer('abcdefghi', 1, 5)
>>> array('b', str(buf))
array('b', [98, 99, 100, 101, 102])

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Comment By: Josiah Carlson (josiahcarlson)
Date: 2005-04-28 07:39

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I couldn't sleep, so I started working on it.

Note: a.fromstring(buf_obj) works in Python 2.3 and 2.4, it
just isn't documented, nor is it exposed via array_new.

I've got less than 20 lines of changes that seem to be
necessary for array(typecode, buf) to be supported,
including documentation and unittest updates.  I'll sleep on
it (I'm getting tired) and upload it tomorrow.

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Comment By: Josiah Carlson (josiahcarlson)
Date: 2005-04-28 01:37

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Not right now, but I could probably have one for you
tomorrow.  You want doc updates and tests too?

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Comment By: Raymond Hettinger (rhettinger)
Date: 2005-04-28 00:20

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Do you have a patch?

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