Convert String to Array of Arrays in Python

Question

I'm trying to convert what seems to be a string into an array of arrays. I'm uploading an excel sheet using read_excel but one of the columns is formatted:

[[u'MAKER', u'CREATED', u'1463538547', None], ['SHOP', u'ACCEPTED', u'1463538651', None], [u'SHOP', u'READY', u'1463539221', None], [u'COURIER', u'COMPLETED', u'1463540801', None]]

It's reading this as a complete string but I want it to be read as an array of arrays so I loop over each array. This is what I'm using to intake the file

changes = pd.read_excel('dataset.xlsx', sheet_name = "changes").

I tried changing the type to list but that doesn't seem to help.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank You!

What is the column name that has the array of arrays

1__
– 1__

2019-11-05 05:30:05 +00:00
Commented Nov 5, 2019 at 5:30 — 1__
– 1__, Commented Nov 5, 2019 at 5:30

Stephen Kennedy · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-05 05:58:06Z

2

You can use ast.literal_eval

>>> from ast import literal_eval
>>> s = "['a',['b','c','d'],'e']"
>>> print(literal_eval(s))
['a', ['b', 'c', 'd'], 'e']

edited Nov 5, 2019 at 5:58

Stephen Kennedy

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answered Nov 5, 2019 at 5:35

Stupid_designer

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Comments

1__ · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-05 05:34:14Z

0

Can you try this? change 'array_column_name' to the actual column name

changes = pd.read_excel('dataset.xlsx', sheet_name = "changes",converters={'array_column_name':ast.literal_eval})

answered Nov 5, 2019 at 5:34

1__

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2 Comments

realtacos Over a year ago

I get an error of TypeError: unhashable type: 'list'

realtacos Over a year ago

I was able to figure it out. Every time i tried to do a second loop to view the inner array it would treat the array as a string so it would loop through the letters. Doing the below got me what i wanted, thanks! for row in changes['array_list']: for item in ast.literal_eval(row): print(item)

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