[Numpy-discussion] BOF notes: Fernando's proposal: NumPy ndarray with named axes

[Rob Speer]

> Not really. 1-D structured arrays can and do work well for the very
> common case where one has unlabeled rows and labeled columns. They are
> also a little bit more flexible in that the columns can be
> heterogeneous in dtype, as columns are wont to do.
>
> May I politely suggest that, just as some people did not do a
> sufficient job of reading the datarray proposal to understand how they
> differ from structured arrays, you do not know as much about
> structured arrays to understand the ways in which they are similar to
> labeled arrays? Understanding both the similarities and differences is
> important because both are going to be living in the same ecosystem
> with overlapping niches.

All right, you got me there. I had no idea that record arrays had that
functionality.

In the end, we are making the same point. Datarrays and record arrays
take different approaches to similar problems, and can easily coexist,
and you could even make a datarray of records if you wanted.
-- Rob