Python – Applying function with multiple arguments to create a new pandas column

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I want to create a new column in a pandas data frame by applying a function to two existing columns. Following this answer I've been able to create a new column when I only need one column as an argument:

import pandas as pd
df = pd.DataFrame({"A": [10,20,30], "B": [20, 30, 10]})

def fx(x):
    return x * x

print(df)
df['newcolumn'] = df.A.apply(fx)
print(df)

However, I cannot figure out how to do the same thing when the function requires multiple arguments. For example, how do I create a new column by passing column A and column B to the function below?

def fxy(x, y):
    return x * y

Best Answer

You can go with @greenAfrican example, if it's possible for you to rewrite your function. But if you don't want to rewrite your function, you can wrap it into anonymous function inside apply, like this:

>>> def fxy(x, y):
...     return x * y

>>> df['newcolumn'] = df.apply(lambda x: fxy(x['A'], x['B']), axis=1)
>>> df
    A   B  newcolumn
0  10  20        200
1  20  30        600
2  30  10        300

Related Solutions

Python – Create a Pandas Dataframe by appending one row at a time

You can use df.loc[i], where the row with index i will be what you specify it to be in the dataframe.

>>> import pandas as pd
>>> from numpy.random import randint

>>> df = pd.DataFrame(columns=['lib', 'qty1', 'qty2'])
>>> for i in range(5):
>>>     df.loc[i] = ['name' + str(i)] + list(randint(10, size=2))

>>> df
     lib qty1 qty2
0  name0    3    3
1  name1    2    4
2  name2    2    8
3  name3    2    1
4  name4    9    6

Python – Selecting multiple columns in a Pandas dataframe

The column names (which are strings) cannot be sliced in the manner you tried.

Here you have a couple of options. If you know from context which variables you want to slice out, you can just return a view of only those columns by passing a list into the __getitem__ syntax (the []'s).

df1 = df[['a', 'b']]

Alternatively, if it matters to index them numerically and not by their name (say your code should automatically do this without knowing the names of the first two columns) then you can do this instead:

df1 = df.iloc[:, 0:2] # Remember that Python does not slice inclusive of the ending index.

Additionally, you should familiarize yourself with the idea of a view into a Pandas object vs. a copy of that object. The first of the above methods will return a new copy in memory of the desired sub-object (the desired slices).

Sometimes, however, there are indexing conventions in Pandas that don't do this and instead give you a new variable that just refers to the same chunk of memory as the sub-object or slice in the original object. This will happen with the second way of indexing, so you can modify it with the .copy() method to get a regular copy. When this happens, changing what you think is the sliced object can sometimes alter the original object. Always good to be on the look out for this.

df1 = df.iloc[0, 0:2].copy() # To avoid the case where changing df1 also changes df

To use iloc, you need to know the column positions (or indices). As the column positions may change, instead of hard-coding indices, you can use iloc along with get_loc function of columns method of dataframe object to obtain column indices.

{df.columns.get_loc(c): c for idx, c in enumerate(df.columns)}

Now you can use this dictionary to access columns through names and using iloc.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Python – Create a Pandas Dataframe by appending one row at a time

Python – Selecting multiple columns in a Pandas dataframe

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