[Visualpython-users] New Windows VPython

[Arthur Siegel]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Sherwood" <bas at andrew.cmu.edu>
To: <visualpython-users at lists.sourceforge.net>
Sent: Monday, December 24, 2001 5:11 PM
Subject: [Visualpython-users] New Windows VPython


> At vpython.org is a new VPython for Windows that patches gaps in the
> Numeric module used in some VPython demo programs (and automatically
> imported by Visual). The update makes division of Numeric arrays work
> properly in the presence of "from __future__ import division". The patches
> to Numeric have been submitted to the keepers of the Numeric project.
>
> Bruce Sherwood
>


Bruce -

I am in the strange position of being a vocal advocate of
VPython, and a vocal critic of the decision on the division
operator, at least to the extent it was made to accommodate
VPython and similar projects.  And precisely, as I stated at
the time of the wars,  because Numeric is the dog and VPython
the tail when it comes to handling numerics, and as I stated at
the time, the change is inconsistent, or at least inelegantly consistent,
with Numeric typing, and, as I stated at the time of the wars, the
change could be expected to lead to a deeper level of confusion
and more insidious bugs if folks try to use VPython without being
aware of the Numeric typing and coercian rules - to which the
divison change is, almost by intent, an open invitation.

And I inflamed an already difficult relationship with Guido and others
in the community as a result of my position, or at least its vehemence,
and my method of communciating my position.

There was no VPython fork of Python as Guido had apparently thought,
but as of today, apparently there *is* a VPython fork of Numeric.

That a project of mine, that is dear to me, is dependent on VPython and
 so -
at least temporarily, a fork of Numeric, is - I think you might be able
to understand - quite upsetting.

Art