[Numpy-discussion] Changes in PyArray_FromAny between 1.5.x and 1.6.x

[Zachary Pincus]

> It isn't just the array() calls which end up getting problems.  For
> example, in 1.5.x
> 
> sage: f = 10; type(f)
> <type 'sage.rings.integer.Integer'>
> sage: numpy.arange(f)
> array([0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]) #int64
> 
> while in 1.6.x
> 
> sage: numpy.arange(f)
> array([0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9], dtype=object)
> 
> We also see problems with calls like
> 
> sage: scipy.stats.uniform(0,15).ppf([0.5,0.7])
> array([  7.5,  10.5])
> 
> which work in 1.5.x, but fail with a traceback "TypeError: array
> cannot be safely cast to required type" in 1.6.x.

I'm getting problems like this after a 1.6 upgrade as well. Lots of object arrays being created when previously there would either be an error, or an array of floats. 

Also, lots of the "TypeError: array cannot be safely cast to required type" are cropping up.

Honestly, most of these are in places where my code was lax and so I just cleaned things up to use the right dtypes etc. But still a bit unexpected in terms of having more code to fix than I was used to for 0.X numpy revisions.

Just another data-point, though. Not really a complaint.

Zach