[NumPy-Tickets] [NumPy] #1437: Copy a complex array into a slice of a real array takes the real part.

[NumPy Trac]

#1437: Copy a complex array into a slice of a real array takes the real part.
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 Reporter:  SevenThunders  |       Owner:  somebody
     Type:  defect         |      Status:  new     
 Priority:  normal         |   Milestone:          
Component:  Other          |     Version:          
 Keywords:                 |  
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 Numpy gives surprising results when copying complex data into a portion of
 a predefined real data array.  It takes the real part of the complex data,
 and does not retype the real array to be complex.

 Here is some example code:

 {{{
 import numpy as np
 z = np.zeros((3,4))
 u = np.random.randn(3,2) + 1j * np.random.randn(3,2)
 z[:,1:3] = u
 print(z)
 }}}

 One can contrast this behavior,  with say Matlab,  or with numpy itself
 under different contexts,  e.g.  adding to the above code

 {{{
 u4 = np.random.randn(3,4) + 1j * np.random.randn(3,4)
 z = u4
 print(z)
 }}}

 Thus when the right hand side has the same size as the left,  numpy will
 promote the left hand side, z,  to be complex.

 I can only presume that the reason for this behavior is performance,
 probably due to maintaining a complex array as interleaved real and
 imaginary.  If so,  then for consistency and to catch the obvious sorts of
 bugs this creates,  it would be far preferable to throw an exception for
 the complex to real copy for a sliced array.

 After all it is pretty easy to get the default behavior by taking the real
 part of the right hand side.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://projects.scipy.org/numpy/ticket/1437>
NumPy <http://projects.scipy.org/numpy>
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