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DataFrame to_csv line_terminator inconsistency when using compression #25311

@jointfull

Description

@jointfull

Code Sample, a copy-pastable example if possible

df.to_csv('uncompressed.csv')
df.to_csv('compressed-wrong-line-terminator.csv.gz')
df.to_csv('compressed-good-line-terminator.csv.gz', line_terminator='\n')

Problem description

Current line_terminator defaults when using compression and when not using compression are different (Windows OS, pandas 0.24.1).

When uncompressing the gzip file created using the default line_terminator, we can clearly see that the files are different (compressed-wrong-line-terminator.csv vs uncompressed.csv); only when using the explicit line_termintor='\n' the uncompressed file is identical to the not compressed file (compressed-good-line-terminator.csv.gz vs. uncompressed.csv).

It is emphasized that if we use the explicit line_terminator='\n' for non-compressed files, the output file is different than the ones created without explicit assignment of the line_terminator - forcing the user the need to explicitly specify the line_terminator only for compressed files.

This behavior is problematic, especially using the latest pandas version, where compression is inferred from the file extension, and one would expect that also the line_separator will undergo the same inference.

Expected Output

As stated above, it is expected that the command in python line 2 (after uncompressing it) will produce the same file as produced by the command in python line 1.
However, we see that only the command in python line 3 (after uncompressing it) produces the same file as produced by the command in python line 1.

Output of pd.show_versions()

INSTALLED VERSIONS

commit: None
python: 3.6.4.final.0
python-bits: 64
OS: Windows
OS-release: 7
machine: AMD64
processor: Intel64 Family 6 Model 78 Stepping 3, GenuineIntel
byteorder: little
LC_ALL: None
LANG: None
LOCALE: None.None

pandas: 0.24.1
pytest: None
pip: 19.0.1
setuptools: 40.4.3
Cython: None
numpy: 1.15.2
scipy: 1.0.0
pyarrow: None
xarray: None
IPython: 6.2.1
sphinx: None
patsy: 0.5.0
dateutil: 2.6.1
pytz: 2017.3
blosc: None
bottleneck: None
tables: None
numexpr: None
feather: None
matplotlib: 3.0.0
openpyxl: 2.5.12
xlrd: 1.2.0
xlwt: None
xlsxwriter: None
lxml.etree: None
bs4: None
html5lib: 1.0.1
sqlalchemy: None
pymysql: None
psycopg2: None
jinja2: 2.10
s3fs: None
fastparquet: None
pandas_gbq: None
pandas_datareader: None
gcsfs: None

Activity

WillAyd

WillAyd commented on Feb 14, 2019

@WillAyd
Member

Hmm OK. Can you provide code to roundtrip back from the compressed file just so nothing is ambiguous here?

added
Needs InfoClarification about behavior needed to assess issue
on Feb 14, 2019
CaselIT

CaselIT commented on Feb 21, 2019

@CaselIT

I've the same problem.
Code snippet:

import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
d = pd.DataFrame(np.random.randint(1,10,size=(10,10)), columns=list('qwertyuiop'))
d.to_csv('foo.csv.gz', index=False)

The saved files has two line terminators in each line

q,w,e,r,t,y,u,i,o,p

6,7,9,9,1,7,2,6,9,8

9,9,1,8,2,7,2,5,9,9

4,8,3,8,1,3,9,3,4,1

4,3,8,4,6,6,9,5,2,6

4,2,7,3,3,4,4,7,5,3

8,2,5,8,8,6,9,5,6,3

3,1,8,6,9,7,9,6,8,3

1,6,7,8,6,7,5,3,5,3

8,4,9,4,8,3,5,5,6,2

6,7,8,6,6,2,8,2,3,4

The saved file in the example:
foo.csv.gz

Saving without compression does works as expected.

Setting the line_terminator resolves it

It seems to be limited to Windows, I've tried on Linux and it does not have the same problem, using the same pandas version

INSTALLED VERSIONS ------------------ commit: None python: 3.6.8.final.0 python-bits: 64 OS: Windows OS-release: 10 machine: AMD64 processor: Intel64 Family 6 Model 142 Stepping 10, GenuineIntel byteorder: little LC_ALL: None LANG: None LOCALE: None.None

pandas: 0.24.1
pytest: 4.2.0
pip: 19.0.1
setuptools: 40.7.3
Cython: 0.29.4
numpy: 1.15.4
scipy: 1.2.0
pyarrow: None
xarray: None
IPython: 7.2.0
sphinx: 1.8.2
patsy: None
dateutil: 2.7.5
pytz: 2018.9
blosc: None
bottleneck: None
tables: 3.4.4
numexpr: 2.6.9
feather: None
matplotlib: 2.2.2
openpyxl: None
xlrd: None
xlwt: None
xlsxwriter: None
lxml.etree: None
bs4: None
html5lib: 0.9999999
sqlalchemy: 1.2.16
pymysql: None
psycopg2: 2.7.4 (dt dec pq3 ext lo64)
jinja2: 2.10
s3fs: None
fastparquet: None
pandas_gbq: None
pandas_datareader: None
gcsfs: None

TomAugspurger

TomAugspurger commented on Mar 6, 2019

@TomAugspurger
Contributor

This looks like a duplicate of #25048. LMK if not.

added and removed
Needs InfoClarification about behavior needed to assess issue
on Mar 6, 2019
added this to the No action milestone on Mar 6, 2019
jointfull

jointfull commented on Mar 6, 2019

@jointfull
Author

After carefully reading the details of #25048, it seems that sed task refers to a scenario where a file handler is passed to pandas.to_csv().
However, in my case, the call to pandas.to_csv() is with a filename (and not a file handler), and behave different when giving a filename that ends with .gz (inferring a request for a compressed file).
I believe we are talking about two different problems here (unless proven that they originate from the same bug and that fixing one fixes the other too).

TomAugspurger

TomAugspurger commented on Mar 6, 2019

@TomAugspurger
Contributor
TomAugspurger

TomAugspurger commented on Mar 6, 2019

@TomAugspurger
Contributor

Though, perhaps we can work around for this specific case, by supplying the line_terminator for the user if necessary? cc @gfyoung @chris-b1.

removed this from the No action milestone on Mar 6, 2019

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        DataFrame to_csv line_terminator inconsistency when using compression · Issue #25311 · pandas-dev/pandas