Robert'll correct me if I'm wrong, but I think what he meant is that all you have to do is:
array_of_lists = numpy.empty(<shape tuple>, dtype=object) and you'll be able to fill array_of_lists with whatever you want: >>> aol = np.empty((2,2),dtype=object) >>> aol[:,:] = [[[1, 2, 3], ['a','b','c']], [[(), (), ()], [{}, {}, {}]]] >>> aol array([[[1, 2, 3], ['a', 'b', 'c']], [[(), (), ()], [{}, {}, {}]]], dtype=object) However, you do have to specify the shape ahead of time: >>> aol = np.empty((),dtype=object) >>> aol[:,:] = [list([5, 6, 7]),list(['a', 'b', 'c'])] Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module> IndexError: 0-d arrays can't be indexed. >>> aol.shape = (2,2) Traceback (most recent call last): File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module> ValueError: total size of new array must be unchanged (Of course, if you need to change its size and shape, you can always instantiate a new array, initializing the "old" portion of it w/ the existing array and filling in the rest w/ the new values.) DG --- On Sun, 7/19/09, Mark Wendell <mark.wend...@gmail.com> wrote: > From: Mark Wendell <mark.wend...@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Numpy-discussion] list dtype? > To: "Discussion of Numerical Python" <numpy-discussion@scipy.org> > Date: Sunday, July 19, 2009, 3:19 PM > Sorry for being a newbie about it, > but could you provide an example? > > I was able to do this: > > d = np.dtype( {'names':['mylist'], 'formats':[np.object]}) > but I'm not sure if that's the correct way to produce a > python list-type dtype. > > Further, how do I then define a new array with that as a > dtype? > > When I do this: > a = np.array( (5,5), dtype = d) > I get the error: > ValueError: size of tuple must match number of fields. > > > Any help appreciated. Thanks! > Mark > > On Sun, Jul 19, 2009 at 2:37 PM, Robert Kern<robert.k...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > On Sun, Jul 19, 2009 at 11:22, Mark Wendell<mark.wend...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Is it possible to create a dtype that is a list of > arbitrary length? > > > > Use the object dtype. > > > > -- > > Robert Kern > > > > "I have come to believe that the whole world is an > enigma, a harmless > > enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to > interpret it as > > though it had an underlying truth." > > -- Umberto Eco > > _______________________________________________ > > NumPy-Discussion mailing list > > NumPy-Discussion@scipy.org > > http://mail.scipy.org/mailman/listinfo/numpy-discussion > > > > > > -- > -- > Mark Wendell > "I guess songs are just interesting things to do with the > air." Tom Waits > _______________________________________________ > NumPy-Discussion mailing list > NumPy-Discussion@scipy.org > http://mail.scipy.org/mailman/listinfo/numpy-discussion > _______________________________________________ NumPy-Discussion mailing list NumPy-Discussion@scipy.org http://mail.scipy.org/mailman/listinfo/numpy-discussion