About agate

Why agate?

  • A readable and user-friendly API.
  • A complete set of SQL-like operations.
  • Unicode support everywhere.
  • Decimal precision everywhere.
  • Exhaustive user documentation.
  • Pluggable extensions that add SQL integration, Excel support, and more.
  • Designed with iPython, Jupyter and atom/hydrogen in mind.
  • Pure Python. No C dependencies to compile.
  • Exhaustive test coverage.
  • MIT licensed and free for all purposes.
  • Zealously zen.
  • Made with love.

Principles

agate is a intended to fill a very particular programming niche. It should not be allowed to become as complex as numpy or pandas. Please bear in mind the following principles when considering a new feature:

  • Humans have less time than computers. Optimize for humans.
  • Most datasets are small. Don’t optimize for “big data”.
  • Text is data. It must always be a first-class citizen.
  • Python gets it right. Make it work like Python does.
  • Humans lives are nasty, brutish and short. Make it easy.
  • Mutability leads to confusion. Processes that alter data must create new copies.
  • Extensions are the way. Don’t add it to core unless everybody needs it.