Reading binary into complex array

[soxcited]

Dear All,

Ive started learning Python couple of hours ago, after working with IDL for
a long time and I have a question I hope you would not mind answering.
I have a binary file that I would like to read into a 512point complex array
and print couple of points, say first and the fifth terms.

If you are familiar with Matlab or IDL, the corresponding IDL commands
would be something like:
data = complexarr(512)
openr, lun, 'datafile', /get_lun
readu, lun, data

How can i do the same in Python? Thanks in advance for your help.

[bartonc]

You'll need to use the struct module to convert your data. Post an example of your array structure for further help.

Thanks for joining.

[soxcited]

I have tried the following:

import array
data = array.array('f')
f = open('filename','rb')
data.fromfile(f, 6)
print data

The result is:
array('f', [1002.02490234375, 10.442339897155762, -251.11215209960937, -1295.44384765625, -645.1199951171875, -18.742809295654297])

What I was hoping to get was an array of 3 complex points with the
following real and img parts:
(1002.02, 10.4423) ( -251.112, -1295.44) (-645.120, -18.7428)

Eventually what I would like to do is to apply FFT on the complex array.
Thanks for your help.

[bartonc]

I have tried the following:

import array
data = array.array('f')
f = open('filename','rb')
data.fromfile(f, 6)
print data

The result is:
array('f', [1002.02490234375, 10.442339897155762, -251.11215209960937, -1295.44384765625, -645.1199951171875, -18.742809295654297])

What I was hoping to get was an array of 3 complex points with the
following real and img parts:
(1002.02, 10.4423) ( -251.112, -1295.44) (-645.120, -18.7428)

Eventually what I would like to do is to apply FFT on the complex array.
Thanks for your help.

Then you'll definitely want to get SciPy. SciPy arrays can be created to suit your needs and the FFT is implemented in C, but called like a built-in function.