> Also, can you elaborate on what (if anything) it is about Matlab that > you feel you can't replicate in Python? Are you aware of matplotlib and > numpy?
The features provided by some matlab 'toolboxes' (libraries in matlab-speak) are lacking, and are beyond what numpy + scipy may provide. Some projects done in Matlab could easily be translated to Python, but probably not the control engineering kind for example -- the algorithms provided by the control toolbox, the identification toolbox, etc. are standard tools in the field, and were implemented by domain experts. Don't get me wrong. There are A LOT of scientific projects that can be done with Python, and I'd rather cut my hand than do some Matlab programming when I can avoid it. I also believe that the work involved in the proper installation of numpy + scipy + matplotlib is far beyond the average Matlab user ability (check the amount of "installation problem" on the numpy mailing-list ...). But for sure, the work done in these libs is just great and their community is extremely reactive and helpful. Last thought: the "All Python behavior in the presence of infinities, NaNs, and signed zeroes is a platform-dependent accident" meme still worries me from time to time ... But, hey, that's probably just me :) Cheers, S.B. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
