noob questions

[Robert Kern]

T.Crane wrote:
> I'm new to python and I seem to get different behavior depending on...
> well who knows what.  Here's my question concerning importation of
> packages/modules.
> 
> I want to use scipy.  So at the prompt (using iPython, installed with
> Enthought edition on Windows XP) I type:
> 
> ln [1]: from scipy import *
> 
> Now, I know integrate is a package this is in scipy.  I want to use
> the ode class/module that's in integrate.  So I type:
> 
> ln [2]: from integrate import *
> 
> And I'm told
> 
> ImportError: No module named integrate
> 
> In order to get access to the ode class, I end up having to type:
> 
> ln [3]: from scipy.integrate import *
> 
> Then it works.  Will someone explain to me what I'm misunderstanding?
> I don't understand why after importing everything in scipy (which
> includes integrate), I was told there was no module named integrate.
> What gives?  I there are sevarl functions (modules) that I want to use
> that are a few levels down from the root package, what's the most
> economical method of importing them?

Everything Steve Holden said is correct. I'll just add that we do have a
function that will load all of the subpackages.

  import scipy
  scipy.pkgload()
  from scipy import *

We don't load all of the subpackages by default because we have a lot of
extension modules that link to largish libraries. Loading all of them all of the
time takes substantial amounts of time.

Also, I don't recommend using either pkgload or "from scipy import *" in code.
However, from the interactive prompt, feel free. That is precisely what these
features were designed for.

-- 
Robert Kern

"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma
 that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had
 an underlying truth."
  -- Umberto Eco