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Migration from pandas

This guide helps you migrate existing pandas code to DataStore for better performance while maintaining compatibility.

The One-Line Migration​

The simplest migration is changing your import:

# Before (pandas)
import pandas as pd

# After (DataStore)
from chdb import datastore as pd

That's it! Most pandas code works unchanged.

Step-by-Step Migration​

Install chDB​

pip install "chdb>=4.0"

Change the Import​

# Change this:
import pandas as pd

# To this:
from chdb import datastore as pd

Test Your Code​

Run your existing code. Most operations work unchanged:

from chdb import datastore as pd

# These all work the same
df = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
result = df[df['age'] > 25]
grouped = df.groupby('city')['salary'].mean()
df.to_csv("output.csv")

Handle Any Differences​

A few operations behave differently. See Key Differences below.

What Works Unchanged​

Data Loading​

# All these work the same
df = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
df = pd.read_parquet("data.parquet")
df = pd.read_json("data.json")
df = pd.read_excel("data.xlsx")

Filtering​

# Boolean indexing
df[df['age'] > 25]
df[(df['age'] > 25) & (df['city'] == 'NYC')]

# query() method
df.query('age > 25 and salary > 50000')

Selection​

# Column selection
df['name']
df[['name', 'age']]

# Row selection
df.head(10)
df.tail(10)
df.iloc[0:100]

GroupBy and Aggregation​

# GroupBy
df.groupby('city')['salary'].mean()
df.groupby(['city', 'dept']).agg({'salary': ['sum', 'mean']})

Sorting​

df.sort_values('salary', ascending=False)
df.sort_values(['city', 'age'])

String Operations​

df['name'].str.upper()
df['name'].str.contains('John')
df['name'].str.len()

DateTime Operations​

df['date'].dt.year
df['date'].dt.month
df['date'].dt.dayofweek

I/O Operations​

df.to_csv("output.csv")
df.to_parquet("output.parquet")
df.to_json("output.json")

Key Differences​

1. Lazy Evaluation​

DataStore operations are lazy - they don't execute until results are needed.

pandas:

# Executes immediately
result = df[df['age'] > 25]
print(type(result))  # pandas.DataFrame

DataStore:

# Builds query, doesn't execute yet
result = ds[ds['age'] > 25]
print(type(result))  # DataStore (lazy)

# Executes when you need the data
print(result)        # Triggers execution
df = result.to_df()  # Triggers execution

2. Return Types​

Operationpandas ReturnsDataStore Returns
df['col']SeriesColumnExpr (lazy)
df[['a', 'b']]DataFrameDataStore (lazy)
df[condition]DataFrameDataStore (lazy)
df.groupby('x')GroupByLazyGroupBy

3. No inplace Parameter​

DataStore doesn't support inplace=True. Always use the return value:

pandas:

df.drop(columns=['col'], inplace=True)

DataStore:

ds = ds.drop(columns=['col'])  # Assign the result

4. Comparing DataStores​

pandas doesn't recognize DataStore objects, so use to_pandas() for comparison:

# This may not work as expected
df == ds  # pandas doesn't know DataStore

# Do this instead
df.equals(ds.to_pandas())

5. Row Order​

DataStore may not preserve row order for file sources (like SQL databases). Use explicit sorting:

# pandas preserves order
df = pd.read_csv("data.csv")

# DataStore - use sort for guaranteed order
ds = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
ds = ds.sort('id')  # Explicit ordering

Migration Patterns​

Pattern 1: Read-Analyze-Write​

# pandas
import pandas as pd
df = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
result = df[df['amount'] > 100].groupby('category')['amount'].sum()
result.to_csv("output.csv")

# DataStore - same code works!
from chdb import datastore as pd
df = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
result = df[df['amount'] > 100].groupby('category')['amount'].sum()
result.to_csv("output.csv")

Pattern 2: DataFrame with pandas Operations​

If you need pandas-specific features, convert at the end:

from chdb import datastore as pd

# Fast DataStore operations
ds = pd.read_csv("large_data.csv")
ds = ds.filter(ds['date'] >= '2024-01-01')
ds = ds.filter(ds['amount'] > 100)

# Convert to pandas for specific features
df = ds.to_df()
df_pivoted = df.pivot_table(...)  # pandas-specific

Pattern 3: Mixed Workflow​

from chdb import datastore as pd
import pandas

# Start with DataStore for fast filtering
ds = pd.read_csv("huge_file.csv")  # 10M rows
ds = ds.filter(ds['year'] == 2024)  # Fast SQL filter
ds = ds.select('col1', 'col2', 'col3')  # Column pruning

# Convert for pandas-specific operations
df = ds.to_df()  # Now only ~100K rows
result = df.apply(complex_custom_function)  # pandas

Performance Comparison​

DataStore is significantly faster for large datasets:

OperationpandasDataStoreSpeedup
GroupBy count347ms17ms19.93x
Complex pipeline2,047ms380ms5.39x
Filter+Sort+Head1,537ms350ms4.40x
GroupBy agg406ms141ms2.88x

Benchmark on 10M rows

Troubleshooting Migration​

Issue: Operation Not Working​

Some pandas operations may not be supported. Check:

  1. Is the operation in the compatibility list?
  2. Try converting to pandas first: ds.to_df().operation()

Issue: Different Results​

Enable debug logging to understand what's happening:

from chdb.datastore.config import config
config.enable_debug()

# View the SQL being generated
ds.filter(ds['x'] > 10).explain()

Issue: Slow Performance​

Check your execution pattern:

# Bad: Multiple small executions
for i in range(1000):
    result = ds.filter(ds['id'] == i).to_df()

# Good: Single execution
result = ds.filter(ds['id'].isin(ids)).to_df()

Issue: Type Mismatches​

DataStore may infer types differently:

# Check types
print(ds.dtypes)

# Force conversion
ds['col'] = ds['col'].astype('int64')

Gradual Migration Strategy​

Week 1: Test Compatibility​

# Keep both imports
import pandas as pd
from chdb import datastore as ds

# Compare results
pdf = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
dsf = ds.read_csv("data.csv")

# Verify they match
assert pdf.equals(dsf.to_pandas())

Week 2: Switch Simple Scripts​

Start with scripts that:

  • Read large files
  • Do filtering and aggregation
  • Don't use custom apply functions

Week 3: Handle Complex Cases​

For scripts with custom functions:

from chdb import datastore as pd

# Let DataStore handle the heavy lifting
ds = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
ds = ds.filter(ds['year'] == 2024)  # SQL

# Convert for custom work
df = ds.to_df()
result = df.apply(my_custom_function)

Week 4: Full Migration​

Switch all scripts to DataStore import.

FAQ​

Can I use both pandas and DataStore?​

Yes! Convert between them freely:

from chdb import datastore as ds
import pandas as pd

# DataStore to pandas
df = ds_result.to_pandas()

# pandas to DataStore  
ds = ds.DataFrame(pd_result)

Will my tests still pass?​

Most tests should pass. For comparison tests, convert to pandas:

def test_my_function():
    result = my_function()
    expected = pd.DataFrame(...)
    pd.testing.assert_frame_equal(result.to_pandas(), expected)

Can I use DataStore in Jupyter?​

Yes! DataStore works in Jupyter notebooks:

from chdb import datastore as pd

ds = pd.read_csv("data.csv")
ds.head()  # Displays nicely in Jupyter

How do I report issues?​

If you find compatibility issues, report them at: https://github.com/chdb-io/chdb/issues