How to Use the Apply Function In Pandas?

12 minutes read

The apply function in Pandas is used to apply a given function to each element or column of a DataFrame or a Series. It is a flexible and powerful tool for data manipulation and transformation.


When using the apply function, you pass a function as an argument which will be applied to each element or column. It can be a built-in Python function or a custom function that you define.


Here are a few examples to illustrate how to use apply in different scenarios:

  1. Applying a function to each element of a Series:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
import pandas as pd

s = pd.Series([1, 2, 3, 4, 5])

def square(x):
    return x**2

squared_series = s.apply(square)


In the above example, the square function is applied to each element of the s Series. It returns a new Series where each element is squared.

  1. Applying a function to each element of a DataFrame:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
import pandas as pd

df = pd.DataFrame({'A': [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], 'B': [6, 7, 8, 9, 10]})

def double(x):
    return x*2

doubled_df = df.apply(double)


In this case, the double function is applied to each element of the DataFrame df. It returns a new DataFrame where each element is doubled.

  1. Applying a function to each column of a DataFrame:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
import pandas as pd

df = pd.DataFrame({'A': [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], 'B': [6, 7, 8, 9, 10]})

def sum_column(series):
    return series.sum()

column_sums = df.apply(sum_column, axis=0)


Here, the sum_column function is applied to each column of the DataFrame df. It returns a new Series where each element represents the sum of the corresponding column.


In addition to these basic examples, you can also pass additional arguments to the function you want to apply using the args parameter, or apply functions along a specific axis using the axis parameter.


The apply function is a powerful tool in Pandas that can help you transform and manipulate your data effectively and efficiently.

Best Python Books of July 2024

1
Learning Python, 5th Edition

Rating is 5 out of 5

Learning Python, 5th Edition

2
Head First Python: A Brain-Friendly Guide

Rating is 4.9 out of 5

Head First Python: A Brain-Friendly Guide

3
Python for Beginners: 2 Books in 1: Python Programming for Beginners, Python Workbook

Rating is 4.8 out of 5

Python for Beginners: 2 Books in 1: Python Programming for Beginners, Python Workbook

4
Python All-in-One For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

Rating is 4.7 out of 5

Python All-in-One For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

5
Python for Everybody: Exploring Data in Python 3

Rating is 4.6 out of 5

Python for Everybody: Exploring Data in Python 3

6
Learn Python Programming: The no-nonsense, beginner's guide to programming, data science, and web development with Python 3.7, 2nd Edition

Rating is 4.5 out of 5

Learn Python Programming: The no-nonsense, beginner's guide to programming, data science, and web development with Python 3.7, 2nd Edition

7
Python Machine Learning: Machine Learning and Deep Learning with Python, scikit-learn, and TensorFlow 2, 3rd Edition

Rating is 4.4 out of 5

Python Machine Learning: Machine Learning and Deep Learning with Python, scikit-learn, and TensorFlow 2, 3rd Edition


How to use the apply function in Pandas to filter based on multiple conditions?

To filter a dataframe based on multiple conditions using the apply function in pandas, you can follow these steps:

  1. Import the pandas library and load your dataset into a pandas dataframe.
  2. Define a function to apply the filtering conditions.
  3. Use the apply function along with the defined function to filter the dataframe.


Here is an example that demonstrates this process:

 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
import pandas as pd

# Load your dataset into a pandas dataframe
df = pd.read_csv('your_dataset.csv')

# Define a function to apply the filtering conditions
def filter_conditions(row):
    # Return True if the row meets the desired conditions, False otherwise
    return row['column1'] > 10 and row['column2'] == 'value'

# Use the apply function along with the defined function to filter the dataframe
filtered_df = df[df.apply(filter_conditions, axis=1)]

print(filtered_df)


In the above example, replace 'your_dataset.csv' with the path and name of your dataset file, 'column1' and 'column2' with the actual column names you want to filter on, and 'value' with the specific value you want to filter on for 'column2'. The resulting dataframe filtered_df will contain only the rows that satisfy both conditions.


How to use the apply function in Pandas to reshape data?

The apply function in pandas is a powerful tool for reshaping data. It applies a function along an axis of a DataFrame or Series, allowing you to manipulate, transform, or reshape the data.


Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use the apply function to reshape data:

  1. Import pandas:
1
import pandas as pd


  1. Create a DataFrame with the data you want to reshape:
1
2
3
4
data = {'Name': ['John', 'Jane', 'Michael', 'Jessica'],
        'Age': [25, 30, 45, 35],
        'Gender': ['Male', 'Female', 'Male', 'Female']}
df = pd.DataFrame(data)


  1. Define a function that will be applied to the data:
1
2
def add_prefix(name):
    return 'Mr. ' + name


  1. Use the apply function to apply the defined function to a column or row of the DataFrame:
1
df['Name'] = df['Name'].apply(add_prefix)


In this example, the add_prefix function is applied to the 'Name' column, which adds a prefix of 'Mr. ' to each name.

  1. You can also use the apply function to apply a lambda function to the data:
1
df['Age'] = df['Age'].apply(lambda x: x + 1)


In this case, a lambda function is used to add 1 to each age in the 'Age' column.

  1. The apply function can also be used to apply functions to entire rows or columns by specifying axis=1 or axis=0, respectively:
1
df['Full Name'] = df.apply(lambda row: row['Name'] + ' ' + str(row['Age']), axis=1)


Here, a lambda function is applied to each row of the DataFrame, concatenating the 'Name' and 'Age' values into a new 'Full Name' column.


These are just a few examples of how to use the apply function in pandas to reshape data. The apply function can be used in many other ways, depending on your specific requirements.


How to apply custom logic on grouped data using the apply function in Pandas?

To apply custom logic on grouped data using the apply function in Pandas, you can follow these steps:

  1. First, import the required libraries:
1
import pandas as pd


  1. Create a DataFrame with the data you want to group:
1
2
3
data = {'Category': ['A', 'A', 'B', 'B', 'A', 'B'],
        'Value': [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]}
df = pd.DataFrame(data)


  1. Use the groupby function to group the data based on a column or a list of columns:
1
grouped_data = df.groupby('Category')


  1. Define a custom function that will be applied to each group. The function should take a DataFrame as input and return a result:
1
2
3
def custom_function(group):
    # Custom logic to be applied on each group
    return group['Value'].sum()


  1. Use the apply function on the grouped data, passing the custom function as an argument:
1
result = grouped_data.apply(custom_function)


  1. The apply function will call the custom function for each group and return the result as a Series, where the index is the group identifier and the values are the custom logic outputs:
1
print(result)


Output:

1
2
3
4
Category
A     8
B    13
dtype: int64


In this example, the custom logic sums the 'Value' column for each group based on the 'Category'. You can modify the custom function to apply any desired logic on each group.


How to use the apply function in Pandas to calculate date differences?

To calculate date differences using the apply function in Pandas, you can follow these steps:

  1. Import the necessary libraries:
1
import pandas as pd


  1. Create a DataFrame with date columns:
1
2
3
4
df = pd.DataFrame({'date1': ['2021-01-01', '2021-02-01'],
                   'date2': ['2021-01-05', '2021-02-05']})
df['date1'] = pd.to_datetime(df['date1'])
df['date2'] = pd.to_datetime(df['date2'])


  1. Define a function that calculates the date difference:
1
2
def date_diff(row):
    return row['date2'] - row['date1']


  1. Use the apply function along the rows axis to calculate the date differences:
1
df['date_diff'] = df.apply(date_diff, axis=1)


Here, the apply function is applied to each row (axis=1), and the date_diff function is used to calculate the date difference between date2 and date1. The result is stored in a new column called date_diff.


You can access the date difference values using df['date_diff'].


Note: The date difference is computed as a timedelta object, which represents the duration between two dates.


How to use the apply function in Pandas to calculate summary statistics?

To use the apply function in Pandas to calculate summary statistics, you can follow these steps:

  1. Import the pandas library: import pandas as pd.
  2. Create a dataframe or use an existing dataframe.
  3. Define a custom function that calculates the desired summary statistic. This function should take a series as input and return a single value.
  4. Use the apply function on the dataframe and pass the custom function as an argument. Specify the axis parameter to apply the function column-wise (axis=0) or row-wise (axis=1).
  5. Assign the result of the apply function to a new column or variable to store the calculated summary statistic.


Here is an example to calculate the mean of each column in a dataframe using the apply function:

 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
import pandas as pd

# Create a dataframe
data = {'A': [1, 2, 3, 4, 5],
        'B': [6, 7, 8, 9, 10],
        'C': [11, 12, 13, 14, 15]}
df = pd.DataFrame(data)

# Define a custom function to calculate the mean
def calculate_mean(series):
    return series.mean()

# Apply the custom function to calculate the mean column-wise
means = df.apply(calculate_mean, axis=0)

print(means)


Output:

1
2
3
4
A    3.0
B    8.0
C   13.0
dtype: float64


In this example, the apply function is used on the dataframe df with the custom function calculate_mean and axis=0 to apply the function column-wise. The result is stored in the means variable, which contains the mean of each column.


How to use the apply function in Pandas to sort data?

To use the apply function in pandas to sort data, you can follow the steps below:

  1. Import the necessary libraries:
1
import pandas as pd


  1. Create a DataFrame:
1
2
3
4
data = {'Name': ['John', 'Alice', 'Bob', 'Charlie'],
        'Age': [30, 25, 35, 28],
        'Country': ['USA', 'Canada', 'USA', 'Australia']}
df = pd.DataFrame(data)


  1. Define a sorting function that will be applied to each row using apply. For example, if you want to sort the DataFrame by the 'Age' column in ascending order:
1
2
3
def sort_by_age(row):
    sorted_df = sorted(row, key=lambda x: x['Age'])
    return sorted_df


  1. Use apply with axis=1 to apply the sorting function to each row of the DataFrame:
1
sorted_df = df.apply(sort_by_age, axis=1)


The resulting sorted_df will be a Series where each element is a sorted row of the original DataFrame based on the 'Age' column.


Note that apply returns a new Series or DataFrame, so if you want to modify the original DataFrame in-place, you need to assign the result back to the original DataFrame:

1
df = df.apply(sort_by_age, axis=1)


Now, the original DataFrame df will be sorted by the 'Age' column.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Whatsapp Pocket

Related Posts:

To reverse a Pandas series, you can make use of the slicing technique with a step value of -1. Follow these steps:Import the Pandas library: import pandas as pd Create a Pandas series: data = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] series = pd.Series(data) Reverse the series using sl...
To create a column based on a condition in Pandas, you can use the syntax of DataFrame.loc or DataFrame.apply functions. Here is a text-based description of the process:Import the Pandas library: Begin by importing the Pandas library using the line import pand...
To apply a function to a list of dataframes in pandas, you can use a for loop or the apply method. First, create a list of dataframes that you want to apply the function to. Then, iterate over each dataframe in the list using a for loop or use the apply method...