Pandas DataFrame Rename Method

Introduction

In this lab, we will learn how to use the DataFrame.rename() method in Pandas to alter or change the labels of a DataFrame.

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Skills Graph

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Importing the Required Libraries

First, we need to import the pandas library that will allow us to work with DataFrames.

import pandas as pd

Creating the DataFrame

Next, we will create a sample DataFrame that we will use throughout the lab.

df = pd.DataFrame({"A": [1, 2, 3], "B": [4, 5, 6],"C": [7, 8, 9]})

Altering Column Labels

To change the labels of the columns in the DataFrame, we can use the DataFrame.rename() method. In this step, we will change the column labels from "A", "B", and "C" to "a", "b", and "c" respectively.

df = df.rename(columns={"A": "a", "B": "b", "C": "c"})

Altering Index Labels

To change the labels of the rows or index in the DataFrame, we can also use the DataFrame.rename() method. In this step, we will change the index labels from 0, 1, and 2 to "index_1", "index_2", and "index_3" respectively.

df = df.rename(index={0: "index_1", 1: "index_2", 2: "index_3"})

Error Handling

By default, the DataFrame.rename() method ignores any errors that occur during the label alteration. However, we can raise an error by setting the errors parameter to "raise". In this step, we will try to change the label of a non-existing column, which will result in a KeyError.

df = df.rename(columns={"A": "a", "B": "b", "D": "d"}, errors="raise")

Summary

In this lab, we have learned how to use the DataFrame.rename() method in Pandas to alter the labels of a DataFrame. We can modify both the column labels and index labels using this method. We have also seen how to handle errors when altering labels. This method is useful when we need to rename or modify the labels of our data for analysis or presentation.