[SciPy-user] Python number handling?

[Travis Oliphant]

Robert Kern wrote:

> Howey, David A wrote:
>
>> I'm new to python...
>> Why, why oh why did someone decide to make python do this:
>>
>> Integer case
>>
>> In [5]: 107 / 4 Out[5]: 26
>>
>> Float case
>>
>> In [6]: 107.0  / 4
>> Out[6]: 26.75
>>
>> I'm a bit worried that when it come to using variables, because you
>> don't declare them (eg as integer or float) python might mess up
>> division and give you the first result above rather than the second.
>>
>> Has anyone had any problems with this?
>
>
> Long, long ago, Guido decided to make integers behave this way because 
> C integers behaved this way (close enough at any rate; Python differs 
> from C with negative integers, but arguably does something more 
> consistent). In many cases, this behavior is actually useful although 
> it tends to get in the way a good amount of the time.

Robert is, as usual, spot on with his comments.

It should be noted that Python is moving towards having 107 / 4 return 
the floating-point result while 107 // 4 will be integer division.

Note the following on Python 2.3.4

 >>> 107 / 4
26
 >>> from __future__ import division
 >>> 107 / 4
26.75


I still think it is a good idea to use 4.0 when you mean to interpret 4 
as a float.

-Travis