Simple library set up for calling TISEAN programs as Python functions. I'm going to use this on the next chaos pset.

__init__.py

###############################################################################
#
# File: tizz/__init__.py
# Author: Ken Sheedlo
#
# TISEAN interface library for Python
#
###############################################################################

import numpy
import StringIO
import subprocess
import sys

PROGRAMS = [
    'ar-model',
    'arima-model',
    'av-d2',
    'boxcount',
    'causality',
    'changes',
    'corr',
    'd2',
    'delay',
    'extrema',
    'false_nearest',
    'fsle',
    'ghkss',
    'histogram',
    'lfo-ar',
    'lfo-run',
    'lfo-test',
    'low121',
    'lyap_k',
    'lyap_r',
    'lyap_spec',
    'lzo-gm',
    'lzo-run',
    'lzo-test',
    'makenoise',
    'mem_spec',
    'mutual',
    'nrlazy',
    'nstat_z',
    'pca',
    'poincare',
    'polyback',
    'polynom',
    'polynomp',
    'polypar',
    'rand',
    'rbf',
    'recurr',
    'resample',
    'rescale',
    'routines',
    'sav_gol',
    'xcor',
    'xzero',
    'zeroth',
    'addnoise',
    'ar-run',
    'autocor',
    'c1',
    'c2d',
    'c2g',
    'c2naive',
    'c2t',
    'changes',
    'choose',
    'cluster',
    'compare',
    'delay',
    'endtoend',
    'events',
    'henon',
    'ikeda',
    'intervals',
    'lazy',
    'lorenz',
    'notch',
    'pc',
    'predict',
    'project',
    'randomize',
    'randomize_auto',
    'randomize_cool',
    'randomize_cost',
    'randomize_extend',
    'randomize_perm',
    'randomize_spike',
    'randomize_uneven',
    'rms',
    'spectrum',
    'spikeauto',
    'spikespec',
    'stp',
    'surrogates',
    'timerev',
    'upo',
    'upoembed',
    'wiener',
    'xc2',
    'xrecur'
]

def _activate(program):
    '''
    Constructs a callback interface to a TISEAN program.

    Params:
        program     The name of the TISEAN program to call.

    Returns: a tuple (name, callback) where
        name        A suitable Python name for the program. This will be equal
                    to the TISEAN program's name unless it uses Python special
                    characters (e.g., -). In this case an appropriate substitute
                    will be used (- => _).
        callback    The function to run, conforming to the standard tizz 
                    interface. It takes an optional input keyword-arg that will
                    be converted to a string and passed to TISEAN as standard 
                    input. It returns the result from TISEAN as a Numpy ndarray.
    '''
    pyname = program.replace('-', '_')

    def _straightline(dargs):
        '''
        Converts a keyword-arg dictionary into a shell arguments.

        '''
        def _combine(lst, kv):
            return lst + ['-{0}'.format(kv[0]), str(kv[1])]
        return reduce(_combine, dargs.items(), [])

    def _callback(*args, **kwargs):
        '''
        Standard tizz library interface callback.

        '''
        iarray = kwargs.get('input')
        idata = None

        if iarray is not None:
            ibuf = StringIO.StringIO()
            numpy.savetxt(ibuf, iarray)
            idata = ibuf.getvalue()
            ibuf.close()

        pargs = [program, '-V', '0'] + list(args) + _straightline(dict({
                        kv for kv in kwargs.items()
                        if kv[0] != 'input'
                    }))
        child = subprocess.Popen(
                            pargs, 
                            stdin=subprocess.PIPE, 
                            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                        )
        (outdata, _) = child.communicate(input=idata)

        buf = StringIO.StringIO(outdata)
        try:
            return numpy.loadtxt(buf)
        finally:
            buf.close()

    return (pyname, _callback)

selfmod = sys.modules[__name__]
selfmod.__dict__.update([_activate(program) for program in PROGRAMS])

test.py

###############################################################################
#
# File: test.py
# Author: Ken Sheedlo
#
# TISEAN interface library for Python, unit tests.
#
###############################################################################

import numpy
import tizz
import unittest

class TestTizz(unittest.TestCase):
    '''
    Test suite for tizz library.

    '''
    def test_mutual_should_construct_mutual_information(self):
        '''
        Tests the mutual program to make sure it is working.

        '''
        data = numpy.loadtxt('tizz/test.dat')
        muts = tizz.mutual(input=data)
        expected = numpy.array([
                            [ 0., 2.766932],
                            [ 1., 2.626527],
                            [ 2., 2.523629],
                            [ 3., 2.43525 ],
                            [ 4., 2.356612],
                            [ 5., 2.28539 ],
                            [ 6., 2.220294],
                            [ 7., 2.160475],
                            [ 8., 2.105323],
                            [ 9., 2.054395],
                            [10., 2.007321],
                            [11., 1.963788],
                            [12., 1.923651],
                            [13., 1.886742],
                            [14., 1.852874],
                            [15., 1.821637],
                            [16., 1.792148],
                            [17., 1.763563],
                            [18., 1.734117],
                            [19., 1.704597],
                            [20., 1.673778]
                        ], dtype=numpy.float64)
        self.assertEquals(muts.shape, expected.shape)
        for i in xrange(21):
            self.assertAlmostEqual(expected[i, 0], muts[i, 0])
            self.assertAlmostEqual(expected[i, 1], muts[i, 1])

if __name__ == "__main__":
    unittest.main()