ENH: let genfromtxt return empty array for empty input file instead of an error.

A warning for empty files is issued, including file name.  Closes #1793.

1 files changed, 6 insertions, 5 deletions

diff --git a/numpy/lib/tests/test_io.py b/numpy/lib/tests/test_io.py
index f9da258dc..18585375e 100644
--- a/numpy/lib/tests/test_io.py
+++ b/numpy/lib/tests/test_io.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import threading
 from tempfile import mkstemp, NamedTemporaryFile
 import time
 from datetime import datetime
+import warnings
 
 import numpy as np
 import numpy.ma as ma
@@ -637,7 +638,6 @@ class TestFromTxt(TestCase):
         assert_equal(test, ctrl)
 
     def test_skip_footer_with_invalid(self):
-        import warnings
         basestr = '1 1\n2 2\n3 3\n4 4\n5  \n6  \n7  \n'
         warnings.filterwarnings("ignore")
         # Footer too small to get rid of all invalid values
@@ -959,12 +959,12 @@ M   33  21.99
                              usecols=('a', 'c'), **kwargs)
         assert_equal(test, ctrl)
 
-
     def test_empty_file(self):
-        "Test that an empty file raises the proper exception"
+        "Test that an empty file raises the proper warning."
+        warnings.filterwarnings("ignore", message="genfromtxt: Empty input file:")
         data = StringIO()
-        assert_raises(IOError, np.ndfromtxt, data)
-
+        test = np.genfromtxt(data)
+        assert_equal(test, np.array([]))
 
     def test_fancy_dtype_alt(self):
         "Check that a nested dtype isn't MIA"
@@ -1440,5 +1440,6 @@ def test_npzfile_dict():
 
     assert_('x' in list(z.iterkeys()))
 
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     run_module_suite()