[Python-Dev] Expose the array interface in Python 2.5?

[Thomas Heller]

Travis E. Oliphant wrote:
> Last year, during development of NumPy, the concept of the array 
> interface was developed as a means to share array_like data.  It was 
> realized that it is this concept that needs to be explored further and 
> pushed into Python itself, rather than a particular incarnation of an 
> array.
> 
> It is very important for many people to get access to memory with some 
> description of how that memory should be interpreted as an array. 
> Several Python packages could benefit if Python had some notion of an 
> array interface that was at least supported in a duck-typing fashion.
> 
> The description of what we've come up with so far and is implemented in 
> NumPy (and Numarray and last released Numeric) is at
> 
> http://numeric.scipy.org/#array_interface
> 
> Quite a few of us would love to see this get into Python proper, but 
> have very little free-time to spare to make sure it happens.
> 
> Would it be possible to add at least the C-struct array interface to the 
> Python arrayobject in time for Python 2.5?

I'm very much for that.

> Is someone on this list willing to help make it happen?

Unfortunately not me - I'm too busy with ctypes, and if the array interface
makes it into the core I will have to implement/use that in ctypes too.
Accessing Python arrays (Numeric arrays, Numeric array, or Numpy array)
as ctypes arrays, and vice versa, without copying any memory, would be a good thing.


> In NumPy, there is also a reasonably good way to describe the 
> "data-type" of arbitrary data, that fell out of the discussions over the 
> array interface.  I think something like this could eventually find its 
> way into Python as well.
> 
> We would love any feedback from the Python community on the array 
> interface.  Especially because we'd like to see it in Python itself and 
> supported and used by every relevant Python package sooner rather than 
> later.

Thomas