[TUHS] Re: python

Clem and all, I find python string format syntax to be close enough to printf. E.g.,   print('%.4f ns, (%.4f, %.4fj)' % (tap[0], tap[1].real, tap[1].imag)) However, the example highlights a shortcoming.  While complex numbers are supported by the language, there is no formatting support like '%.5j' ('j' is my made up format char) to directly format a complex number. I work in an RF lab focused on work with hardware and lab gear. Some points in favor of python are (1) lab gear is controlled by SCPI, (2) DSP relies on complex math, and (3) RF propagation modeling is computationally intense. Item (1) is easily performed with python, (2) with python or Matlab/octave, and (3) is 'it depends.'  An engineer's friend went from slide rule, to calculator, fortran/c (fortran for numbers, c for hardware), and now python. A laptop with python or matlab is the new 'calculator.'  As to (3), if you will use the program for large scenarios, use c or fortran. For small runs or to dovetail results with control of lab gear python fills the bill.  (I even went to the slightly insane length of converting a classic prop model from fortran to python for that reason: https://udel.edu/~mm/itm/ ) I agree 110% that python white space formatting is horrible.  I can't say many times I took someone else's program, made a quick change, to discover one of us used tabs and the other spaces. Mike Markowski On 8/2/23 10:07 PM, Clem Cole wrote: