Create Pandas DataFrame from txt file with specific pattern

Question

I need to create a Pandas DataFrame based on a text file based on the following structure:

Alabama[edit]
Auburn (Aubu         


        

Answer 1

You can first read_csv with parameter name for create DataFrame with column Region Name, separator is value which is NOT in values (like ;):

df = pd.read_csv('filename.txt', sep=";", names=['Region Name'])

Then insert new column State with extract rows where text [edit] and replace all values from ( to the end to column Region Name.

df.insert(0, 'State', df['Region Name'].str.extract('(.*)\[edit\]', expand=False).ffill())
df['Region Name'] = df['Region Name'].str.replace(r' \(.+$', '')

Last remove rows where text [edit] by boolean indexing, mask is created by str.contains:

df = df[~df['Region Name'].str.contains('\[edit\]')].reset_index(drop=True)
print (df)
      State   Region Name
0   Alabama        Auburn
1   Alabama      Florence
2   Alabama  Jacksonville
3   Alabama    Livingston
4   Alabama    Montevallo
5   Alabama          Troy
6   Alabama    Tuscaloosa
7   Alabama      Tuskegee
8    Alaska     Fairbanks
9   Arizona     Flagstaff
10  Arizona         Tempe
11  Arizona        Tucson

If need all values solution is easier:

df = pd.read_csv('filename.txt', sep=";", names=['Region Name'])
df.insert(0, 'State', df['Region Name'].str.extract('(.*)\[edit\]', expand=False).ffill())
df = df[~df['Region Name'].str.contains('\[edit\]')].reset_index(drop=True)
print (df)
      State                                        Region Name
0   Alabama                      Auburn (Auburn University)[1]
1   Alabama             Florence (University of North Alabama)
2   Alabama    Jacksonville (Jacksonville State University)[2]
3   Alabama         Livingston (University of West Alabama)[2]
4   Alabama           Montevallo (University of Montevallo)[2]
5   Alabama                          Troy (Troy University)[2]
6   Alabama  Tuscaloosa (University of Alabama, Stillman Co...
7   Alabama                  Tuskegee (Tuskegee University)[5]
8    Alaska      Fairbanks (University of Alaska Fairbanks)[2]
9   Arizona         Flagstaff (Northern Arizona University)[6]
10  Arizona                   Tempe (Arizona State University)
11  Arizona                     Tucson (University of Arizona)