[SciPy-user] Polynomial interpolation

[Gael Varoquaux]

On Mon, Apr 28, 2008 at 09:20:48AM -0700, Ed Rahn wrote:
> The group of people who use scipy is much greater than you and your 
> colleagues. The people who use scipy do so because it uses python. In 
> this case a problem can be better solved, and the context better 
> understood using objects.

Yes, that's all good. Do provide an elaborate interface, but don't kill
the simple one.

> > One of the things my colleague like with Matlab is that it doesn't forces
> > them to learn new concepts. What I hate with it is that it forbids me
> > (who is writting the experiment-control framework) to use advanced
> > concepts. We need to find a middle ground between the two.

> Working with so many matlab people, maybe octave would be a better fit 
> for you? The API's you write and expose to your colleagues can be 
> independent of the scipy API.

I like to use Python to drive the experiments. Why add another language?
Scipy already fits the job. Why force on people the more elaborate way of
making things? The grat thing about Python is that it allows you to do
things simple if you want, while keeping the option of more complexe
design. Hell, I can write a script, with no functions, let even objects.
If I was doing java, I'd have to write:
"""
public static void main(String [ ] args)
{
   ...
}
"""

In addition by multiplying the langages you are putting more stress on
the support people, on the users, which might have to learn the framework
one day, and on the developpers, who have to provide the same
functionnality in different languages. Keep it simple, use one language,
and keep it open to non advanced users. I don't see the cost of keeping a
simple API, it doesn't kill the advanced one. Moreover, it provides a
light learning curve for people who can later on move to the more
advanced. And it is very little code to support.

Gaël