[SciPy-dev] numpy/scipy some remarks

[Arnd Baecker]

Hi,

thanks for your comments Pearu!

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006, Pearu Peterson wrote:

> On Wed, 18 Jan 2006, Arnd Baecker wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > I just successfully installed a recent numpy/scipy using MKL as math
> > library on Itanium2.
> > I have few minor comments, which might cause confusion
> > to new-comers (and me as well;-) to the numpy/scipy combo:
> >
> > 1.) What does the overwriting stuff mean?
> >
> >    In [1]: import scipy
> >    In [2]: scipy.pkgload()
> > Overwriting lib=<module 'scipy.lib' from
> > '/home/baecker/python2/scipy_icc_lintst_n_mkl/lib/python2.4/site-packages/scipy/lib/__init__.pyc'>
> > from
> > /home/baecker/python2/scipy_icc_lintst_n_mkl/lib/python2.4/site-packages/scipy/lib/__init__.pyc
> > (was <module 'numpy.lib' from
> > '/home/baecker/python2/scipy_icc_lintst_n_mkl/lib/python2.4/site-packages/numpy/lib/__init__.pyc'>
> > from
> > /home/baecker/python2/scipy_icc_lintst_n_mkl/lib/python2.4/site-packages/numpy/lib/__init__.pyc)
>
> It means exactly what is written. You can disable these messages by
> defining env variable:
>
>    export SCIPY_IMPORT_VERBOSE=-1
>
> Basically, it says which numpy symbols are overwritten by scipy symbols in
> scipy namespace. Only scipy developers should watch out these messages.

Fair enough ;-) Shouldn't then the default be
   SCIPY_IMPORT_VERBOSE=-1
so that that normal users don't see this?

[...]

> > 4.) help(scipy)
> >
> >    Contents
> >    --------
> >
> >      numpy name space
> >
> >   [[ looks quite empty here -
> >      is any more contents (eg. a short example?) planned ]]
>
> Yes, documentation patches are welcome.

OK. I will see if I can write a few lines.

> >    Available subpackages
> >    ---------------------
> >    stats       --- Statistical Functions [*]
> >    sparse      --- Sparse matrix [*]
> >    lib         --- Python wrappers to external libraries [*]
> >    linalg      --- Linear algebra routines [*]
> >    signal      --- Signal Processing Tools [*]
> >    misc        --- Various utilities that don't have another home.
> >    interpolate --- Interpolation Tools [*]
> >    optimize    --- Optimization Tools [*]
> >    cluster     --- Vector Quantization / Kmeans [*]
> >    fftpack     --- Discrete Fourier Transform algorithms [*]
> >    io          --- Data input and output [*]
> >    integrate   --- Integration routines [*]
> >    lib.lapack  --- Wrappers to LAPACK library [*]
> >    special     --- Special Functions [*]
> >    lib.blas    --- Wrappers to BLAS library [*]
> >      [*] - using a package requires explicit import (see pkgload)
> >
> >   [[ couldn't one get rid of all these [*]? They don't look nice.
> >      Only `misc` is different 	 ]]
>
> :) Suggestions how to denote packages that require explicit import more
> nicely are  welcome.

What about something like this at the end:
"""All the above packages require an implicit import.

   The only exception is the `misc` subpackages whose symbols
   are made available in the `numpy` namespace.
"""


> >    Global symbols from subpackages
> >    -------------------------------
> >    stats   --> find_repeats
> >    misc    --> info, factorial, factorial2, factorialk, comb, who, lena,
> >                central_diff_weights, derivative, pade, source
> >    fftpack --> fft, fftn, fft2, ifft, ifft2, ifftn, fftshift, ifftshift,
> >                fftfreq
> >
> >    Utility tools
> >    -------------
> >
> >      test        --- Run scipy unittests
> >      pkgload     --- Load scipy packages
> >      show_config --- Show scipy build configuration
> >      show_numpy_config --- Show numpy build configuration
> >
> >   [[ this is directly mapped to `numpy`s show - is it really needed here
> >     as well? ]]
> >
> >      __version__ --- Scipy version string
> >      __numpy_version__ --- Numpy version string
>
> The tools are different though. Compare scipy.test() with numpy.test() for
> instance. The same holds for other symbols. So, the answer is yes, they
> are needed.

Still confused: clearly scipy.test() and numpy.test()
are different, but:

In [1]: import scipy
In [2]: scipy.show_numpy_config?
Type:           function
Base Class:     <type 'function'>
String Form:    <function show at 0x2000000000969a28>
Namespace:      Interactive
File:
/home/baecker/python2/scipy_icc_lintst_n_mkl/lib/python2.4/site-packages/numpy/__config__.py
Definition:     scipy.show_numpy_config()

So this is directly mapped to numpy.

Concerning __numpy_version__: if this is the present version
of numpy (and not the one used during build), why do we need
  scipy.__numpy_version__
and
  numpy.__version__
?


> >   [[ same with this one, why not just have it in numpy?]]
> >    Environment variables
> >    ---------------------
> >
> >      SCIPY_IMPORT_VERBOSE --- pkgload verbose flag, default is 0.
>
> See previous answer.

;-) well, this wasn't a question, it was just a straight copy
from `help(scipy)` - sorry for making this not clear enough.

Best,

Arnd