2/18/25, 6:43 PM Data Manipulation with Pandas | Python Data Science Handbook
This is an excerpt from the Python Data Science Handbook (http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920034919.do) by Jake
VanderPlas; Jupyter notebooks are available on GitHub (https://github.com/jakevdp/PythonDataScienceHandbook).
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Data Manipulation with Pandas
< Structured Data: NumPy's Structured Arrays (02.09-structured-data-
numpy.html) | Contents (index.html) | Introducing Pandas Objects (03.01-
introducing-pandas-objects.html) >
Open in Colab
(https://colab.research.google.com/github/jakevdp/PythonDataScienceHandbook/blob/master/note
Introduction-to-Pandas.ipynb)
In the previous chapter, we dove into detail on NumPy and its ndarray object,
which provides efficient storage and manipulation of dense typed arrays in
Python. Here we'll build on this knowledge by looking in detail at the data
structures provided by the Pandas library. Pandas is a newer package built on
top of NumPy, and provides an efficient implementation of a DataFrame .
DataFrame s are essentially multidimensional arrays with attached row and
column labels, and often with heterogeneous types and/or missing data. As well
as offering a convenient storage interface for labeled data, Pandas implements
a number of powerful data operations familiar to users of both database
frameworks and spreadsheet programs.
As we saw, NumPy's ndarray data structure provides essential features for the
type of clean, well-organized data typically seen in numerical computing tasks.
While it serves this purpose very well, its limitations become clear when we
need more flexibility (e.g., attaching labels to data, working with missing data,
etc.) and when attempting operations that do not map well to element-wise
broadcasting (e.g., groupings, pivots, etc.), each of which is an important piece
of analyzing the less structured data available in many forms in the world
around us. Pandas, and in particular its Series and DataFrame objects, builds
on the NumPy array structure and provides efficient access to these sorts of
"data munging" tasks that occupy much of a data scientist's time.
In this chapter, we will focus on the mechanics of using Series , DataFrame ,
and related structures effectively. We will use examples drawn from real
datasets where appropriate, but these examples are not necessarily the focus.
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2/18/25, 6:43 PM Data Manipulation with Pandas | Python Data Science Handbook
# Installing and Using Pandas
Installation of Pandas on your system requires NumPy to be installed, and if
building the library from source, requires the appropriate tools to compile the C
and Cython sources on which Pandas is built. Details on this installation can be
found in the Pandas documentation (http://pandas.pydata.org/). If you
followed the advice outlined in the Preface (00.00-preface.html) and used the
Anaconda stack, you already have Pandas installed.
Once Pandas is installed, you can import it and check the version:
In [1]: import pandas
pandas.__version__
Out[1]: '0.18.1'
Just as we generally import NumPy under the alias np , we will import Pandas
under the alias pd :
In [2]: import pandas as pd
This import convention will be used throughout the remainder of this book.
# Reminder about Built-In
Documentation
As you read through this chapter, don't forget that IPython gives you the ability
to quickly explore the contents of a package (by using the tab-completion
feature) as well as the documentation of various functions (using the ?
character). (Refer back to Help and Documentation in IPython (01.01-help-and-
documentation.html) if you need a refresher on this.)
For example, to display all the contents of the pandas namespace, you can type
In [3]: pd.<TAB>
And to display Pandas's built-in documentation, you can use this:
In [4]: pd?
More detailed documentation, along with tutorials and other resources, can be
found at http://pandas.pydata.org/ (http://pandas.pydata.org/).
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2/18/25, 6:43 PM Data Manipulation with Pandas | Python Data Science Handbook
< Structured Data: NumPy's Structured Arrays (02.09-structured-data-
numpy.html) | Contents (index.html) | Introducing Pandas Objects (03.01-
introducing-pandas-objects.html) >
Open in Colab
(https://colab.research.google.com/github/jakevdp/PythonDataScienceHandbook/blob/master/note
Introduction-to-Pandas.ipynb)
https://jakevdp.github.io/PythonDataScienceHandbook/03.00-introduction-to-pandas.html 3/3
