Importing data into DataFrames and exploring its attributes

2.4. Importing data into DataFrames and exploring its attributes#

You can also make a dataframes from any csv file (excel files, delimited text files, etc). The table below summarizes the important functions you need to remember when applying the pd.read_csv() command.

Aspect

Description

Function

File Path

Specify the path or filename of the CSV file

pd.read_csv(‘file_path.csv’)

Delimiter

Define the delimiter used in the CSV file

pd.read_csv(‘file.csv’, delimiter=’,’)

Header

Specify whether the CSV file has a header row

pd.read_csv(‘file.csv’, header=0)

Columns

Select specific columns from the CSV file

pd.read_csv(‘file.csv’, usecols=[‘col1’, ‘col2’])

Index Column

Set a specific column as the index of the DataFrame

pd.read_csv(‘file.csv’, index_col=’column’)

Data Types

Specify data types for columns in the DataFrame

pd.read_csv(‘file.csv’, dtype={‘col1’: int, ‘col2’: float})