[Numpy-discussion] ANN: numarray-0.4 released

[Todd Miller]

Numarray 0.4
---------------------------------

Numarray is an array processing package designed to efficiently
manipulate large multi-dimensional arrays.  Numarray is modelled after
Numeric and features c-code generated from python template scripts,
the capacity to operate directly on arrays in files, and improved type
promotions.

Version 0.4 is a relatively large update with these features:

1.  C-basetypes have been added to NDArray and NumArray to accelerate
simple indexing and attribute access *and* improve Numeric compatability.

2.  List <-> NumArray transformations have been sped up.

3. There's an ieeespecial module which should make it easier to find
and manipulate NANs and INFs.

4. There's now a boxcar function in the Convolve package for doing
fast 2D smoothing.  Jochen Kupper also contributed a lineshape module
which is also part of the Convolve package.

5. Bug fixes for every reported bug between now and July-02.

6. Since I still haven't fixed the add-on Packages packaging, I built
windows binaries for all 4 packages so you don't have to build them
from source yourself.

But... basetypes (and reorganization) aren't free:

1. The "native" aspects of the numarray C-API have changed in
backwards incompatible ways.  In particular, the NDInfo struct is now
completely gone, since it was completely redundant to the new
basetypes which are modelled after Numeric's PyArrayObject.  If you
actually *have* a numarray extension that this breaks, and it bugs
you, send it to me and I'll fix it for you.  If there's enough
response, I'll automate the process of updating extension wrappers.
But I expect not.

2. I expect to hear about bugs which can cause numarray/Python to dump
core.  Of course, I have no clue where they are.  So... there may be
rapid re-releases to compensate.

3. Old pickles are not directly transferrable to numarray-0.4, but may
instead require some copy_reg fuddling because basetypes change the
pickle format.  If you have old pickles you need to migrate, send me
e-mail and I'll help you figure out how to do it.

4. Make *really* sure you delete any old numarray modules you have
laying around.  These can screw up numarray-0.4 royally.

5. Note for astronomers: PyFITS requires an update to work with
numarray-0.4.  This should be available shortly, if it is not already.
My point is that you may be unable to use both numarray-0.4 and PyFITS
today.

WHERE
-----------

Numarray-0.4 windows executable installers, source code, and manual is
here:

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=1369

Numarray is hosted by Source Forge in the same project which hosts Numeric:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/numpy/

The web page for Numarray information is at:

http://stsdas.stsci.edu/numarray/index.html

Trackers for Numarray Bugs, Feature Requests, Support, and Patches are at
the Source Forge project for NumPy at:

http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=1369

REQUIREMENTS
--------------------------

numarray-0.4 requires Python 2.2.0 or greater.


AUTHORS, LICENSE
------------------------------

Numarray was written by Perry Greenfield, Rick White, Todd Miller, JC
Hsu, Paul Barrett, Phil Hodge at the Space Telescope Science
Institute.  Thanks go to Jochen Kupper of the University of North
Carolina for his work on Numarray and for porting the Numarray manual
to TeX format.

Numarray is made available under a BSD-style License.  See
LICENSE.txt in the source distribution for details.

-- 
Todd Miller             jmiller at stsci.edu