[Numpy-discussion] rand argument question (original) (raw)
Alan G Isaac aisaac at american.edu
Fri Jun 2 13:41:27 EDT 2006
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On Fri, 02 Jun 2006, Sven Schreiber apparently wrote:
why doesn't rand accept a shape tuple as argument? I find the difference between the argument types of rand and (for example) zeros somewhat confusing. ... Can anybody offer an intuition/explanation?
Backward compatability, I believe. You are not alone in finding this odd and inconsistent. I am hoping for a change by 1.0, but I am not very hopeful.
Robert always points out that if you want the consistent interface, you can always import functions from the 'random' module. I have never been able to understand this as a response to the point you are making.
I take it the core argument goes something like this:
- rand and randn are convenience functions * if you do not find them convenient, don't use them
- they are in wide use, so it is too late to change them
- testing the first argument to see whether it is a tuple or an int so aesthetically objectionable that its ugliness outweighs the benefits users might get from access to a more consistent interface
This is one place where I believe a forward looking (i.e., think about new users) vision would force a small change in these convenience functions that will have payoffs both in ease of use and in eliminating this recurrent question from discussion lists.
Cheers, Alan Isaac
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