pandas sep in Python

If you have worked with datasets in Python's pandas library, you may have come across the sep parameter.

The sep parameter is an optional parameter that is used to specify the delimiter or separator to use when reading a file. By default, the separator is assumed to be a comma (,), but you can use the sep parameter to specify a different separator if needed.

Here is an example of using sep parameter in pandas:

import pandas as pd

df = pd.read_csv('data.csv', sep='\t')
print(df.head())

In this example, the sep parameter is used to specify the separator as the tab character ('\t') instead of the default comma.

Another common use case for the sep parameter is when working with files that have a specific delimiter such as '|' or ';'. You can simply pass the separator as a string to the sep parameter like this:

df = pd.read_csv('data.txt', sep='|')

In addition to read_csv(), the sep parameter can also be used with other pandas functions that read data from files, such as read_table() and read_fwf().

In conclusion, the sep parameter is a powerful tool that can be used to specify custom separators or delimiters when reading data from files in pandas. It is an essential parameter for handling file formats with non-standard separators.