[Gretl-devel] Re: about the name "fft2"

Hi, I was going to move the documentation of the Fast Fourier Transform to a more fitting place in the guide (away from "special functions in genr", because genr is not really relevant). Then I noticed that the section is a bit outdated because it doesn't mention the new complex-yielding function fft2. I can update that. However, it occurred to me that "fft2" is a problematic name down the road, just like "coint2" was problematic until it was renamed as "johansen". Namely the "2" becomes meaningless after fft is gone and is only understandable for gretl historians. (I also find it confusing because there's the library name fftw3 with another digit in the name, but maybe that part is just me.) So, how about a new name? (Keeping the existing ones as aliases I'd say.) Here's a spontaneous list of possibilities: - fourier() (perhaps along with ifourier() as an alias for ffti()? - actually quite elegant as a 8-char name...)

- fftC(), with the C standing for complex; but maybe not much of an improvement over the "2"

- ...or biting the backwards-incompatibility bullet and change the original fft() to do what fft2() does now. (My quick check doesn't show any package that uses fft anymore, so no breakage expected there.)