Multi-dimensional/Nested DataFrame/Dataset/Panel in Pandas

Question

I would like to store some multidimensional data in a pandas dataframe or panel such that I would like to be able to return for example:

1. All the times for Run

Answer 1

I think you can use Multiindex and then select data by slicers:

import pandas as pd

df = pd.DataFrame({'Time': {('Runner A', 'Male', 35, 'Race A', 2014): '2:47:34', ('Runner C', 'Female', 32, 'Race B', 1998): '1:29:43', ('Runner B', 'Male', 29, 'Race A', 2015): '3:05:56', ('Runner A', 'Male', 35, 'Race A', 2013): '2:50:12', ('Runner A', 'Male', 35, 'Race B', 2013): '1:32:07', ('Runner A', 'Male', 35, 'Race A', 2015): '2:35:09'}})
print (df)
                                   Time
Runner A Male   35 Race A 2013  2:50:12
                          2014  2:47:34
                          2015  2:35:09
                   Race B 2013  1:32:07
Runner B Male   29 Race A 2015  3:05:56
Runner C Female 32 Race B 1998  1:29:43

#index has to be fully lexsorted
df.sort_index(inplace=True)
print (df)
                                   Time
Runner A Male   35 Race A 2013  2:50:12
                          2014  2:47:34
                          2015  2:35:09
                   Race B 2013  1:32:07
Runner B Male   29 Race A 2015  3:05:56
Runner C Female 32 Race B 1998  1:29:43

idx = pd.IndexSlice
print (df.loc[idx['Runner A',:,:,'Race A',:],:])
                                 Time
Runner A Male 35 Race A 2013  2:50:12
                        2014  2:47:34
                        2015  2:35:09

print (df.loc[idx[:,:,:,'Race A',2015],:])
                                 Time
Runner A Male 35 Race A 2015  2:35:09
Runner B Male 29 Race A 2015  3:05:56