Filtering a DataFrame in Python: Find Complete Words Only Using pandas

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Learn how to filter a DataFrame to return rows containing complete words only using `pandas` in Python. This guide breaks down the solution step by step.
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Filtering a DataFrame in Python: Find Complete Words Only Using pandas

When working with data in Python, especially using the pandas library, filtering a DataFrame efficiently is crucial. You may often want to filter rows based on specific keywords. However, a common challenge arises when you want to filter using complete words only, rather than substrings. This can lead to unexpected results where the output may include unintended matches. In this guide, we will explore how to properly filter a DataFrame to achieve your desired outcome.

The Problem

Imagine you have a DataFrame called complete with the following structure:

CommentSentimentfast running0.9heavily raining0.5in the house0.1coming in0.0rubbing it-0.5You want to filter this DataFrame to find comments containing the substring in, but only when in appears as a complete word. If you simply use the following code:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The result returns all rows that contain in as a substring, leading to misleading data. As seen above, all rows will be included, even those where in is merely part of another word.

Your desired output should only include rows like this:

CommentSentimentin the house0.1coming in0.0The Solution

To effectively filter for complete words, you can utilize word boundaries in your filtering criteria. This prevents partial matches while still allowing you to find the full word you're interested in.

Step 1: Use Word Boundaries

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This code uses an f-string to insert the substring and \b represents a word boundary, ensuring that only full occurrences of the word in are matched.

Step 2: Filtering Across Multiple Columns

If your DataFrame has multiple columns and you want to check across all of them, you can refine the approach to ensure efficiency:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

In this example, apply() is still used but is now directed towards a selected list of columns, checking all specified columns at once. This method is more efficient than applying row-wise with axis=1, especially for larger datasets.

Conclusion

Properly filtering a pandas DataFrame for complete words is essential for accurate data analysis. By implementing word boundaries in your filtering criteria, you can avoid partial matches and refine your results effectively. Whenever you find yourself needing to filter by keywords, remember this technique to maintain integrity in your data analysis.

Now go ahead, and start filtering your DataFrame the right way!