python - Apply function to pandas DataFrame that can return multiple rows

Question

I am trying to transform DataFrame, such that some of the rows will be replicated a given number of times. For example:

df = pd.DataFrame({'class': ['A', 'B', 'C'], 'count':[1,0,2]})

  class  count
0     A      1
1     B      0
2     C      2

should be transformed to:

  class 
0     A   
1     C   
2     C 

This is the reverse of aggregation with count function. Is there an easy way to achieve it in pandas (without using for loops or list comprehensions)?

One possibility might be to allow DataFrame.applymap function return multiple rows (akin apply method of GroupBy). However, I do not think it is possible in pandas now.

Answer 1

You could use groupby:

def f(group):
    row = group.irow(0)
    return DataFrame({'class': [row['class']] * row['count']})
df.groupby('class', group_keys=False).apply(f)

so you get

In [25]: df.groupby('class', group_keys=False).apply(f)
Out[25]: 
  class
0     A
0     C
1     C

You can fix the index of the result however you like