How to subclass pandas DataFrame?

Question

Subclassing pandas classes seems a common need but I could not find references on the subject. (It seems that pandas developers are still working on it: https://github.com/p

Answer 1

For Requirement 1, just define _constructor:

import pandas as pd
import numpy as np

class MyDF(pd.DataFrame):
    @property
    def _constructor(self):
        return MyDF


mydf = MyDF(np.random.randn(3,4), columns=['A','B','C','D'])
print type(mydf)

mydf_sub = mydf[['A','C']]
print type(mydf_sub)

I think there is no simple solution for Requirement 2, I think you need define __init__, copy, or do something in _constructor, for example:

import pandas as pd
import numpy as np

class MyDF(pd.DataFrame):
    _attributes_ = "myattr1,myattr2"

    def __init__(self, *args, **kw):
        super(MyDF, self).__init__(*args, **kw)
        if len(args) == 1 and isinstance(args[0], MyDF):
            args[0]._copy_attrs(self)

    def _copy_attrs(self, df):
        for attr in self._attributes_.split(","):
            df.__dict__[attr] = getattr(self, attr, None)

    @property
    def _constructor(self):
        def f(*args, **kw):
            df = MyDF(*args, **kw)
            self._copy_attrs(df)
            return df
        return f

mydf = MyDF(np.random.randn(3,4), columns=['A','B','C','D'])
print type(mydf)

mydf_sub = mydf[['A','C']]
print type(mydf_sub)

mydf.myattr1 = 1
mydf_cp1 = MyDF(mydf)
mydf_cp2 = mydf.copy()
print mydf_cp1.myattr1, mydf_cp2.myattr1