Change default options in pandas

Question

I'm wondering if there's any way to change the default display options for pandas. I'd like to change the display formatting as well as the display width each time I run python, eg:

pandas.options.display.width = 150

I see the defaults are hard-coded in pandas.core.config_init. Is there some way in pandas to do this properly? Or if not, is there some way to set up ipython at least to change the config each time I import pandas? Only thing I can think of is making my own mypandas library that wraps pandas with some extra commands issued each time it's loaded. Any better ideas?

Answer 1

Have a look at the docs:

Using startup scripts for the python/ipython environment to import pandas and set options makes working with pandas more efficient. To do this, create a .py or .ipy script in the startup directory of the desired profile. An example where the startup folder is in a default ipython profile can be found at:

$IPYTHONDIR/profile_default/startup

More information can be found in the ipython documentation. An example startup script for pandas is displayed below:

import pandas as pd
pd.set_option('display.max_rows', 999)
pd.set_option('precision', 5)

(or use the new form pd.options.display.max_rows = 999).

You also asked:

-- is there any way to only run the pandas code when I import pandas from within ipython? it takes quite a while to import pandas, so I'd rather not do it every time I launch a new ipython instance

As a workaround, you could import pandas in the background. See Import python modules in the background in REPL.

Answer 2

As described here, there are iPython config files:

# Most of your config files and extensions will probably start
# with this import

import IPython.ipapi
ip = IPython.ipapi.get()

# You probably want to uncomment this if you did %upgrade -nolegacy
# import ipy_defaults

import os
import pandas


def main():

    #ip.dbg.debugmode = True
    ip.dbg.debug_stack()

    # uncomment if you want to get ipython -p sh behaviour
    # without having to use command line switches
    import ipy_profile_sh
    import jobctrl

    # Configure your favourite editor?
    # Good idea e.g. for %edit os.path.isfile

    #import ipy_editors

    # Choose one of these:

    #ipy_editors.scite()
    #ipy_editors.scite('c:/opt/scite/scite.exe')
    #ipy_editors.komodo()
    #ipy_editors.idle()
    # ... or many others, try 'ipy_editors??' after import to see them

    # Or roll your own:
    #ipy_editors.install_editor("c:/opt/jed +$line $file")


    o = ip.options
    # An example on how to set options
    #o.autocall = 1
    o.system_verbose = 0

    #import_all("os sys")
    #execf('~/_ipython/ns.py')


    # -- prompt
    # A different, more compact set of prompts from the default ones, that
    # always show your current location in the filesystem:

    #o.prompt_in1 = r'\C_LightBlue[\C_LightCyan\Y2\C_LightBlue]\C_Normal\n\C_Green|\#>'
    #o.prompt_in2 = r'.\D: '
    #o.prompt_out = r'[\#] '

    # Try one of these color settings if you can't read the text easily
    # autoexec is a list of IPython commands to execute on startup
    #o.autoexec.append('%colors LightBG')
    #o.autoexec.append('%colors NoColor')
    o.autoexec.append('%colors Linux')

    pandas.options.display.width = 150


# some config helper functions you can use
def import_all(modules):
    """ Usage: import_all("os sys") """
    for m in modules.split():
        ip.ex("from %s import *" % m)

def execf(fname):
    """ Execute a file in user namespace """
    ip.ex('execfile("%s")' % os.path.expanduser(fname))

main()

Probably better to make separate Python profiles. (The code is untested).