Possible PEP - two dimensional arrays?

[Terry Reedy]

On 6/7/2016 8:17 PM, Harrison Chudleigh wrote:
> I was programming a computer game and found that while 1D arrays can be
> created using the module array, there is no module for two-dimensional
> arrays, unlike languages like C. Currently, the closest thing Python has to
> a 2D array is a dictionary containing lists.

A list of lists is standard if one is not using numpy, indexed as, for 
instance 'board[i][j]' A tuple of tuples can be used for static 2d 
array.  I expect people have also used a list of arrays, though for most 
games, the space saving is not enough, plus a list of list is more 
flexible, in that one can put a 'piece' on and 'square'.

> I propose that a module , 2DArray, be added to the standard library. This
> module will include:
> Assignment and retrieval on items on a two-dimensional, finite rectangular
> grid. Types are integer, float, character and string.
> Resizing the grid - parameters are old size and new size. Any new elements
> are initialized with a value of 0 for int, 0.0 for float and ' ' for string
> and character arrays.
> Removing elements. The parameter is the location. After removal, the value
> returned is 0 for int, 0.0 for float and ' ' for string and character
> arrays.
> A function, pop(), which removes elements from the grid and then returns
> them.

You could create your own class based on a list of arrays, and even 
publish it.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy