[Numpy-discussion] Re: API inconsistencies

[Robert Kern]

Albert Strasheim wrote:

> What's the current thinking NumPy backwards compatibility with Numeric and
> ndarray? Is NumPy 1.0 aiming to be compatible, or will some porting effort
> be considered to be the default setting?

We are trying to be as compatible with Numeric as possible by using the
convertcode.py script. We hope that that will get people 99% of the way there.

numarray modules will take some more effort to convert.

> In case the answer is the latter, and rand is supposed to be convenient way
> of calling numpy.random.random(someshape), as you said on the scipy-user
> list, shouldn't their arguments be the same? Having to choose between the
> two inconveniences of typing long names or remembering more than one
> convention for calling functions, I'd prefer to choose neither. But that's
> just me. ;-)

Most of the convenience is the calling convention, not the shorter name.

-- 
Robert Kern

"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma
 that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had
 an underlying truth."
  -- Umberto Eco