pro printTimes, pythontimes, idltimes, TIMED = timed
  compile_opt idl2
  
  ;check if we have a name for the process to print with the mean
  if ~keyword_set(timed) then begin
    add = ' time (seconds):'
  endif else begin
    add = timed + ' time (seconds):'
  endelse
  
  print, 'Average ' + add 
  print, '  Python : ' + strtrim(pythontimes.mean(),2) + ' +/- ' + strtrim(stddev(pythontimes),2)
  print, '  IDL    : ' + strtrim(idltimes.mean(),2) + ' +/- ' + strtrim(stddev(idltimes),2)
  print, 'Total time (seconds):'
  print, '  Python : ' + strtrim(total(pythontimes),2)
  print, '  IDL    : ' + strtrim(total(idltimes),2)
  print, 'Python/IDL time ratio: ' + strtrim(total(pythontimes)/total(idltimes),2)
  
end

pro python_test
  compile_opt idl2
  
  
  ;initialize Python
  >>> 'import numpy as np'
  >>> 'import time'
  >>> 'import math'
  >>> 'from idlpy import *'
  >>> 'from skimage.filters import roberts, sobel, prewitt'
  
  ;number of times we want to run each test
  nloops = 3
  
  ;array dimensions for iterator tests
  dims = 10000
  ;>>>'dims = ' + strtrim(dims,2)
  python.dims = dims
  
  ;array dimensions for filter tests
  dims_filter = 10000
  python.dims_filter = dims_filter
  
  ;initialize arrays to hol dpython times
  pythontimes = fltarr(nloops)
  idltimes = fltarr(nloops)
  
  ;test array creation in Python and IDL
  for i=0,nloops-1 do begin
    tStart = systime(/seconds)
    >>> 'arr = np.ones((dims,dims))'
    tEndPython = systime(/seconds)
    arr = fltarr(dims,dims)
    tEndIDL = systime(/seconds)
    
    ;save the times
    pythontimes[i] = tEndPython - tStart
    idltimes[i] = tEndIDL - tEndPython
  endfor
  print
  printTimes, pythontimes, idltimes, TIMED = 'array creation'

  ;check type conversion times
  for i=0,nloops-1 do begin
    tStart = systime(/seconds)
    >>> 'arr2 = arr.astype(int)'
    tEndPython = systime(/seconds)
    arr2 = fix(arr)
    tEndIDL = systime(/seconds)
    
    ;save the times
    pythontimes[i] = tEndPython - tStart
    idltimes[i] = tEndIDL - tEndPython
  endfor
  print
  printTimes, pythontimes, idltimes, TIMED = 'array data type conversion'

  ;check index array creation times
  for i=0,nloops-1 do begin
    tStart = systime(/seconds)
    >>> 'arr = np.arange(0, dims*dims, dtype=long)'
    tEndPython = systime(/seconds)
    arr = lindgen(dims*dims)
    tEndIDL = systime(/seconds)

    ;save the times
    pythontimes[i] = tEndPython - tStart
    idltimes[i] = tEndIDL - tEndPython
  endfor
  print
  printTimes, pythontimes, idltimes, TIMED = 'index array creation'

  ;check adding values to array
  for i=0,nloops-1 do begin
    tStart = systime(/seconds)
    >>> 'arr += 1'
    tEndPython = systime(/seconds)
    arr += 1
    tEndIDL = systime(/seconds)

    ;save the times
    pythontimes[i] = tEndPython - tStart
    idltimes[i] = tEndIDL - tEndPython
  endfor
  print
  printTimes, pythontimes, idltimes, TIMED = 'increasing array value'

  ;check complex math expressions with a single thread
  pref_set, 'IDL_CPU_TPOOL_NTHREADS', 1, /commit
  for i=0,nloops-1 do begin
    tStart = systime(/seconds)
    >>> 'y = np.sin(arr*arr)**.5'
    tEndPython = systime(/seconds)
    y = sqrt(sin(arr*arr))
    tEndIDL = systime(/seconds)

    ;save the times
    pythontimes[i] = tEndPython - tStart
    idltimes[i] = tEndIDL - tEndPython
  endfor
  print
  printTimes, pythontimes, idltimes, TIMED = 'complex math statements (' + strtrim(!CPU.TPOOL_NTHREADS,2) + ' thread)'
  pref_set, 'IDL_CPU_TPOOL_NTHREADS', /default, /commit
  
  ;check complex math expressions with all threads
  for i=0,nloops-1 do begin
    tStart = systime(/seconds)
    >>> 'y = np.sin(arr*arr)**.5'
    tEndPython = systime(/seconds)
    y = sqrt(sin(arr*arr))
    tEndIDL = systime(/seconds)

    ;save the times
    pythontimes[i] = tEndPython - tStart
    idltimes[i] = tEndIDL - tEndPython
  endfor
  print
  printTimes, pythontimes, idltimes, TIMED = 'complex math statements (' + strtrim(!CPU.TPOOL_NTHREADS,2) + ' thread)'

  ;check array element access times
  nhere = 1
  for i=0,nhere-1 do begin
    tStart = systime(/seconds)
    >>>'for x in np.nditer(arr):\n    y=x'
    tEndPython = systime(/seconds)
    foreach x, arr do y = x
    tEndIDL = systime(/seconds)

    ;save the times
    pythontimes[i] = tEndPython - tStart
    idltimes[i] = tEndIDL - tEndPython
  endfor
  print
  printTimes, pythontimes[0:nhere-1], idltimes[0:nhere-1], TIMED = 'loop through array element'

  ;check times for image processing
  im_dat = lonarr(dims_filter, dims_filter)
  ;set a square in the middle of the image to 1
  im_dat[.4*dims_filter:.6*dims_filter,.4*dims_filter:.6*dims_filter] = 1
  ;send the array to Python as well
  python.im_dat = im_dat
  
  for i=0,nloops-1 do begin
    tStart = systime(/seconds)
    >>> 'edge_sobel = sobel(im_dat)'
    >>> 'edge_roberts = roberts(im_dat)'
    >>> 'edge_prewitt = prewitt(im_dat)'
    tEndPython = systime(/seconds)
    edge_sobel = sobel(im_dat)
    edge_roberts = roberts(im_dat)
    edge_prewitt = prewitt(im_dat)
    tEndIDL = systime(/seconds)

    ;save the times
    pythontimes[i] = tEndPython - tStart
    idltimes[i] = tEndIDL - tEndPython
  endfor
  print
  printTimes, pythontimes, idltimes, TIMED = 'image processing routines'

  stop
end