Account Options

  1. Sign in
The old Google Groups will be going away soon, but your browser is incompatible with the new version.
Google Groups Home
« Groups Home
comp.lang.python
+ new post
About this group
Subscribe to this group
This is a Usenet group - learn more
Message from discussion Python advocacy in scientific computation
The group you are posting to is a Usenet group. Messages posted to this group will make your email address visible to anyone on the Internet.
Your reply message has not been sent.
Your post was successful
 
From:
To:
Cc:
Followup To:
Add Cc | Add Followup-to | Edit Subject
Subject:
Validation:
For verification purposes please type the characters you see in the picture below or the numbers you hear by clicking the accessibility icon. Listen and type the numbers you hear
 
Cameron Laird  
View profile  
 More options Feb 14 2006, 2:08 pm
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
From: cla...@lairds.us (Cameron Laird)
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2006 19:08:02 GMT
Local: Tues, Feb 14 2006 2:08 pm
Subject: Re: Python advocacy in scientific computation
Print | View thread | Show original | Report this message | Find messages by this author
In article <1139937227.379829.215...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>,
Michael Tobis <mto...@gmail.com> wrote:

                        .
                        .
                        .

>Among the Python components and Python bindings of special interest to
>scientists are the elegant and powerful matplotlib plotting package,
>which began by emulating and now surpasses the plotting features of
>Matlab, SWIG, which allows for runtime interoperability with various
>languages, f2py which specifically interoperates with Fortran, NetCDF
>libraries (which cope with NetCDF files with dramatically less fuss
>than the standard C or Fortran bindings), statistics packages including
>bindings to the R language,  linear algebra packages,  various
>platform-specific and portable GUI libraries, genetic algorithms,
>optimization libraries, and bindings for high performance differential
>equation solvers (notably, using the Argonne National Laboratory
>package PetSC). An especially interesting Python trick for runtime
>visualization in models that were not designed to support it, pioneered
>by David Beazley's SWILL, embeds a web server in your model code.

>See especially http://starship.python.net/~hinsen/ScientificPython/ and
>http://scipy.org as good starting points to learn about scientific uses
>of Python.

>mt

Lovely; putting a copy here is a great service to others.

I want a few subtle changes.  I applaud the slogan about how Python
encompasses the best of Matlab and Java (among others); I like to
think that'll get through.  In that vicinity would be a good place,
if practical, to work in mention that:
A.  Python is *excellent* for long-lasting and/or
    group work;
B.  Python's licensing is friendly;
C.  It's a real language, and therefore generalizes
    far better than Matlab; and
D.  Has an unrivaled span of practicality, so that
    learning it enables a researcher to tackle a
    wide variety of software taskes.
You touch on these matters, but I think that section might be pro-
pitious for promoting them, perhaps along with
E.  Python's ease-of-learning and successful record
    in the hands of children, scientists, and other
    casual practitioners.

Also, my instinct is to underline that this stuff is REAL.  David
Beazley was winning awards with his scientific Python-Fortran
marriage back in the '90s.  Perhaps your audience doesn't need so
much convincing on that point ...


 
You must Sign in before you can post messages.
To post a message you must first join this group.
Please update your nickname on the subscription settings page before posting.
You do not have the permission required to post.
Create a group - Google Groups - Google Home - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy
©2013 Google