patch in Python?

[Fernando Pérez]

Gerhard Häring wrote:

> Using the difflib module, I can create diffs between text files. Now,
> has anybody written a patch-replacement in Python, yet?
> 
> The reason I'm asking is that I'm wrapping a library [1] whose license
> requires that the sources are distributed unchanged. I don't need to
> patch the library, yet, but in case I'll ever need, I'd need a Python
> module to do the patching.
> 
> -- Gerhard
> 
> [1] http://www.tc.umn.edu/~ringx004/mapm-main.html

A few questions:

- Do you think you could post a notice when you have the wrappers done? I'm 
very interested in this.

- How does this compare to gmpy?

- Do you have any plans to bind this into Numeric? That would be absolutely 
fantastic. One of the things which keeps us bound to Mathematica here is the 
need for arbitrary precision algorithms. With Numeric being extended to 
arbitrary precision, we'd have a great system.

- Have you looked at http://more.btexact.com/people/briggsk2/XR.html? Do you 
know how they compare?

- And http://www.nersc.gov/~dhbailey/mpdist/mpdist.html? This one is supposed 
to be first rate.

I'd love to have the ability not only to define extended/arbitrary precision 
scalars, but especially to have them carry over to Numeric. One could then 
develop a difficult algorithm in arbitrary precision and then move it over to 
only extended (or even normal) precision once everything is working reliably.

It would be great if you could post on your progress on this (or mail me 
directly: fperez _at_ colorado . edu ).

Cheers,

f