[Numpy-discussion] __skip_array_function__ discussion summary

[Stephan Hoyer]

Sebastian, Stefan and Marten -- thanks for the excellent summaries of the
discussion.

In line with this consensus, I have drafted a revision of the NEP without
__skip_array_function__: https://github.com/numpy/numpy/pull/13624


On Thu, May 23, 2019 at 5:28 PM Marten van Kerkwijk <
m.h.vankerkwijk at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Sebastian, Stéfan,
>
> Thanks for the very good summaries!
>
> An additional item worth mentioning is that by using
> `__skip_array_function__` everywhere inside, one minimizes the performance
> penalty of checking for `__array_function__`. It would obviously be worth
> trying to do that, but ideally in a way that is much less intrusive.
>
> Furthermore, it became clear that there were different pictures of the
> final goal, with quite a bit of discussion about the relevant benefits of
> trying the limit exposure of the internal API and of, conversely, trying to
> (incrementally) move to implementations that are maximally re-usable (using
> duck-typing), which are themselves based around a smaller core (more in
> line with Nathaniel's NEP-22).
>
> In the latter respect, Stéfan's example is instructive. The real
> implementation of `ones_like` is:
> ```
> def ones_like(a, dtype=None, order='K', subok=True, shape=None):
>     res = empty_like(a, dtype=dtype, order=order, subok=subok, shape=shape)
>     multiarray.copyto(res, 1, casting='unsafe')
>     return res
> ```
>
> The first step is here seems obvious: an "empty_like" function would seem
> to belong in the core.
> The second step less so: Stéfan's `res.fill(1)` seems more logical, as
> surely a class's method is the optimal way to do something. Though I do
> feel `.fill` itself breaks "There should be one-- and preferably only one
> --obvious way to do it." So, I'd want to replace it with `res[...] = 1`, so
> that one relies on the more obvious `__setitem__`. (Note that all are
> equally fast even now.)
>
> Of course, in this idealized future, there would be little reason to even
> allow `ones_like` to be overridden with __array_function__...
>
> All the best,
>
> Marten
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