[Python-ideas] Specify number of items to allocate for array.array() constructor

[Philip Jenvey]

On Jul 20, 2011, at 3:02 PM, Antoine Pitrou wrote:

> 
> Hello,
> 
>> Is there a reason why there the array.array constructor does not allow
>> to simply specify the number of items that should be allocated? (I do
>> not really care about the contents.)
>> Would this be a worthwhile addition to / modification of the array module?
> 
> I think it would be. Rather than an additional constructor parameter,
> perhaps it could be a separate method (like we already have extend(),
> fromfile(), etc.).

+1, Jython's had a custom function for this forever, originally from its old jarray module: jarray.zeros(length, typecode). I think its swapped order of args are due to jarray probably predating the array module.

--
Philip Jenvey