[Numpy-discussion] Latest Array-Interface PEP

[Travis Oliphant]

Torgil Svensson wrote:
> On 1/4/07, Travis Oliphant <oliphant at ee.byu.edu> wrote:
>   
>> still be used to describe a complicated block of memory to another user.
>>     
>
> Thinking of the scope "seamless data exchange between modules" my
> concern with this PEP is that is might be too much focused on "block
> of memory" rather than "access to data". Data that can be interpreted
> as an n-dimensional array doesn't necessarily has to be represented
> directly as a block of memory.
>
> Example1: We have a very large amount of data with a compressed
> internal representation
>
> Example2: We might want to generate data "on the fly" as it's needed
>
> Example3: If module creators to deal with different byte alignments,
> contiguousness etc it'll lead to lots of code duplication and
> unnecessarily much work
>
> Is it possible to add a data access API to this PEP? 

Could you give an example of what you mean?  I have no problem with such 
a concept.  I'm mainly interested in getting the NumPy memory model into 
Python some-how.  I know it's not the "only" way to think about memory, 
but it is a widely-used and useful way.

-Travis