[SciPy-user] scipy choice of defaults for matrix manipulation

[Alan G Isaac]

Alan wrote:
>> The SciPy documentation says:
>>         To begin with, all of the Numeric functions have
>>         been subsumed into the scipy namespace so that all
>>         of those functions are available without
>>         additionally importing Numeric.

>> It was therefore unsettling to find that SciPy's function_base defines
>> def cumsum(m,axis=-1):
>>     """Returns the cumulative sum of the elements along the given axis
>>     """
>>     if axis is None:
>>         m = ravel(m)
>>         axis = 0
>>     else:
>>         m = _asarray1d(m)
>>     return add.accumulate(m,axis)

>> This changes the default axis of Numeric and numarray.
>> Bug or feature??




On Wed, 04 Aug 2004, Robert Kern apparently wrote:
> Implementation feature; documentation bug. Numeric's functions have
> various, inconsistent ("schizophrenic" as you say) choices for the
> default axis. An attempt, albeit incomplete as you note, was made with
> SciPy to standardize on always using axis=-1. I'm fairly positive this
> was documented somewhere at some point, but probably only on the old
> website. The tutorial really should be updated to prominently note this
> convention.



Looking at briefly at Numeric and numarray, it seems they
have made an effort to standardize on axis=0.  This is also
true in the Matlab module.  Wouldn't it be wise for SciPy
to join the parade?  (I.e., shouldn't these closely related
and interdependent packages share a convention?
Otherwise, this is going to be VERY confusing for users.
(As it was for me.)  Now when I call a such a function,
I have to remember: is it a SciPy function, or a
Numeric/numarray function?  Not a good situation, right?

Thanks,
Alan