python - Accessing pandas DataFrame as a nested list

Question

I've used the .set_index() function to set the first column as my index to the rows in my dataframe:

>>> import pandas as pd
>>> df = pd.DataFrame([['x', 1,2,3,4,5], ['y', 6,7,8,9,10], ['z', 11,12,13,14,15]])
>>> df.columns = ['index', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
>>> df = df.set_index(['index'])
>>> df
        a   b   c   d   e
index                    
x       1   2   3   4   5
y       6   7   8   9  10
z      11  12  13  14  15

How should the dataframe be manipulated such that I can be accessed like a nested list? e.g. are the following possible:

>>> df['x']
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

>>> df['x']['a']
1

>>> df['x']['a', 'b']
(1, 2)

>>> df['x']['a', 'd', 'c']
(1, 4, 3)

I've tried accessing df['x'] after setting the index but it throws an error, is that the correct way to access the x row?

>>> import pandas as pd
>>> df = pd.DataFrame([['x', 1,2,3,4,5], ['y', 6,7,8,9,10], ['z', 11,12,13,14,15]])
>>> df.columns = ['index', 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e']
>>> df = df.set_index(['index'])
>>> df
        a   b   c   d   e
index                    
x       1   2   3   4   5
y       6   7   8   9  10
z      11  12  13  14  15
>>> df['x']
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas/core/indexes/base.py", line 2393, in get_loc
    return self._engine.get_loc(key)
  File "pandas/_libs/index.pyx", line 132, in pandas._libs.index.IndexEngine.get_loc (pandas/_libs/index.c:5239)
  File "pandas/_libs/index.pyx", line 154, in pandas._libs.index.IndexEngine.get_loc (pandas/_libs/index.c:5085)
  File "pandas/_libs/hashtable_class_helper.pxi", line 1207, in pandas._libs.hashtable.PyObjectHashTable.get_item (pandas/_libs/hashtable.c:20405)
  File "pandas/_libs/hashtable_class_helper.pxi", line 1215, in pandas._libs.hashtable.PyObjectHashTable.get_item (pandas/_libs/hashtable.c:20359)
KeyError: 'x'

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas/core/frame.py", line 2062, in __getitem__
    return self._getitem_column(key)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas/core/frame.py", line 2069, in _getitem_column
    return self._get_item_cache(key)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas/core/generic.py", line 1534, in _get_item_cache
    values = self._data.get(item)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas/core/internals.py", line 3590, in get
    loc = self.items.get_loc(item)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.5/site-packages/pandas/core/indexes/base.py", line 2395, in get_loc
    return self._engine.get_loc(self._maybe_cast_indexer(key))
  File "pandas/_libs/index.pyx", line 132, in pandas._libs.index.IndexEngine.get_loc (pandas/_libs/index.c:5239)
  File "pandas/_libs/index.pyx", line 154, in pandas._libs.index.IndexEngine.get_loc (pandas/_libs/index.c:5085)
  File "pandas/_libs/hashtable_class_helper.pxi", line 1207, in pandas._libs.hashtable.PyObjectHashTable.get_item (pandas/_libs/hashtable.c:20405)
  File "pandas/_libs/hashtable_class_helper.pxi", line 1215, in pandas._libs.hashtable.PyObjectHashTable.get_item (pandas/_libs/hashtable.c:20359)
KeyError: 'x'

Answer 1

You can use loc.

From your examples:

df['x'] should be df.loc['x']
df['x']['a'] should be df.loc['x', 'a'], and
df['x']['a', 'd', 'c'] should be df.loc['x', ['a', 'd', 'c']]