[Numpy-discussion] request for new array method: arr.abs()

[Travis Oliphant]

David M. Cooke wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Aug 2006 16:22:52 -0700
> Sebastian Haase <haase at msg.ucsf.edu> wrote:
>
>   
>> On Wednesday 23 August 2006 16:12, Bill Baxter wrote:
>>     
>>> The thing that I find I keep forgetting is that abs() is a built-in, but
>>> other simple functions are not.  So it's abs(foo), but numpy.floor(foo)
>>> and numpy.ceil(foo).  And then there's round() which is a built-in but
>>> can't be used with arrays, so numpy.round_(foo).    Seems like it would
>>> be more consistent to just add a numpy.abs() and numpy.round().
>>>
>>>       
>> Regarding the original subject: 
>> a) "absolute" is impractically too much typing and 
>> b) I just thought some (module-) functions might be "forgotten" to be put
>> in as (object-) methods ... !?
>>     
>
> Four-line change, so I added a.abs() (three lines for array, one
> for MaskedArray).
>   

While I appreciate it's proactive nature, I don't like this change 
because it adds another "ufunc" as a method.  Right now, I think conj is 
the only other method like that.  

Instead, I like better the idea of adding abs, round, max, and min to 
the "non-import-*" namespace of numpy.