Python Pandas Drop Dataframe

Question

How do I delete a column from a DataFrame? I know this data is not reproducible as I have a CSV file and I am trying to build a pandas data frame to do some wrangling.

import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

df = pd.read_csv('C:\LoadProfiles\CSV\WillBaySchl 2013_2014 KW.csv')

print(df)

This will return the head/tail and:[34944 rows x 3 columns]

pos0 = 0
pos1 = 1
pos2 = 2

colname = df.columns[pos0]
print(colname)

This will return: Meter ID (I want to drop this column/dataframe)

colname = df.columns[pos1]
print(colname)

This will return: Date / Time (I want this to be the pd data frame index)

colname = df.columns[pos2]
print(colname)

This will return: KW(ch: 1 set:0) (This is the data that I want to rename "kW" and do some wrangling...)

If I try this code below:

df = pd.DataFrame.drop(['Meter ID'], axis=1)

print(df)

Python will return the error:TypeError: drop() missing 1 required positional argument: 'labels'

If I try this code below:

df = pd.DataFrame.drop(columns=['Meter ID'])
print(df)

Python will return the error: TypeError: drop() got an unexpected keyword argument 'columns'

Any help is greatly appreciated...

You probably have a pandas pre- 0.21, where the columns kw was introduced. Check your version and use labels, coupled with axis=1 instead. — ako
– ako, Commented Dec 7, 2017 at 22:25
pd.DataFrame.drop(['Meter ID'], axis=1) you are calling the method on the DataFrame constructor so it thinks the first positional argument is self. Use it on an instance (for example df). — user2285236
– user2285236, Commented Dec 7, 2017 at 22:26
Can reiterate what you mean by self? I don't understand how to put this to use with Pandas.. Thanks — bbartling
– bbartling, Commented Dec 8, 2017 at 14:07

andrewchauzov · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-12 11:19:14Z

12

If I understand right to delete column (single) you should use:

df = pd.DataFrame.drop('Meter ID', axis=1)

For more than 1 column:

df = pd.DataFrame.drop(['Meter ID', 'abc'], axis=1)

Difference is in [] brackets.

To delete the whole df you can use either (as mentioned already):

del df

or

df = None

answered Dec 12, 2017 at 11:19

andrewchauzov

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Shubham Sharma · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-10 07:17:11Z

2

After reading your question , what i understand is you wanted to drop column ['Meter ID'] available in your df = pd.read_csv('C:\LoadProfiles\CSV\WillBaySchl 2013_2014 KW.csv') pandas dataframe . I am assuming that you have column name ['Meter ID'] like these in your dataframe and also as header in your csv file .

>>> df.dtypes
Meter ID           int64
someothercolumn    int64
dtype: object

for that you can simply use these code ,

del df['Meter ID']

Now if you wanted to delete overall dataframe you can simply use these code,

df=None

answered Dec 10, 2017 at 7:17

Shubham Sharma

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Vivek Harikrishnan · Accepted Answer · 2017-12-12 11:24:54Z

1

To drop a column from dataframe,

df = df.drop('Meter ID', axis=1)

Drop more than one columns at a time,

df = df.drop(['Meter ID', 'SomethingElse'], axis=1)

For more pandas.DataFrame.drop

answered Dec 12, 2017 at 11:24

Vivek Harikrishnan

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Mutyalama · Accepted Answer · 2018-07-05 23:58:31Z

0

To lose the 'Meter ID' column you could also use:

df = df.drop(columns=['Meter ID'])

post pandas version 0.21

edited Jul 5, 2018 at 23:58

answered Jul 5, 2018 at 23:51

Mutyalama

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