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In this chapter, we will discuss about NumPy Environment. Standard Python distribution doesn’t come bundled with the NumPy module. A lightweight alternative is to install NumPy using the popular Python package installer, pip.

pip install numpy

The best way to enable NumPy is to use an installable binary package specific to your operating system. These binaries contain a full SciPy stack (inclusive of NumPy, SciPy, matplotlib, IPython, SymPy, and nose packages along with core Python).

NumPy Environment For Windows

Anaconda (from https://www.continuum.io) is a free Python distribution for the SciPy stack. It is also available for Linux and Mac.

Canopy (https://www.enthought.com/products/canopy/) is available as free as well as commercial distribution with full SciPy stack for Windows, Linux and Mac.

Python (x,y): It is a free Python distribution with SciPy stack and Spyder IDE for Windows OS. (Downloadable from https://www.python-xy.github.io/)

Linux

Package managers of respective Linux distributions are used to install one or more packages in the SciPy stack.

For Ubuntu

sudo apt-get install python-numpy 
python-scipy python-matplotlibipythonipythonnotebook python-pandas 
python-sympy python-nose

For Fedora

sudo yum install numpyscipy python-matplotlibipython 
python-pandas sympy python-nose atlas-devel

Building from Source

Core Python (2.6.x, 2.7.x, and 3.2.x onwards) must be installed with distutils and the Zlib module should be enabled.

GNU GCC (4.2 and above) C compiler must be available.

To install NumPy, run the following command.

Python setup.py install

To test whether the NumPy module is properly installed, try to import it from Python prompt.

import numpy

If it is not installed, the following error message will be displayed.

Traceback (most recent call last): 
   File "<pyshell#0>", line 1, in <module> 
      import numpy 
ImportError: No module named 'numpy'

Alternatively, the NumPy package is imported using the following syntax −

import numpy as np