[Cython] Buffer syntax/array primitive type

[Robert Bradshaw]

On Mar 7, 2009, at 2:37 PM, Dag Sverre Seljebotn wrote:

> It seems to be the right time to raise this issue now as we're talking
> future projects.
>
> I actually raised the issue on the NumPy list first last week so  
> that some
> feedback from the numerical community is ready for whoever is  
> interested
> right away. I think the sum-up is that something like this is  
> needed if we
> want to take up a real fight with Fortran (though whether that is  
> one of
> Cython's goals is always debatable).
>
> Anyway, I feel myself that this has a better feel than a new array  
> type,
> as it makes use of the buffer interface and so bridges better with
> Python-land.
>
> My proposal is here:
> http://wiki.cython.org/enhancements/buffersyntax
>
> And the thread from the numpy list here:
> http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.python.numeric.general/28439

Very interesting, and I like the syntax for the most part (int 
[:,:,"fortran"] seems a bit odd to me, perhaps mode should be a  
keyword).

Can you pass them around/have them assigned to global/class-level  
variables? Will they be garbage collected? Also, how much of numpy  
will you be duplicating, and how easy will it be to turn one of these  
bare buffers into a numpy array? (I do like the easier int* <-> int 
[:] relation though.)

- Robert