How to Extract Data from Specific Columns in a CSV File Using Python's 'csv' Module?

How to Extract Data from Specific Columns of a CSV File Using 'csv' Module

In this article, we will address the issue of extracting data from specific columns of a CSV file using the Python 'csv' module.

Problem:

You are attempting to parse a CSV file and retrieve data from only particular columns (e.g., ID, Name, Zip, and Phone). However, your code produces only the last column.

Solution:

The primary mistake in the provided code was the placement of the 'print' statement. It must be inside the 'for loop':

for row in reader:
    content = list(row[i] for i in included_cols)
    print(content)

Alternative Solution Using Pandas:

The Pandas module provides a more efficient and elegant solution for handling CSV files:

import pandas as pd

df = pd.read_csv(csv_file)
names = df['Name']
print(names)  # prints all the names

In this case, the 'Name' column is saved in the 'names' variable.

Other Considerations:

• Ensure that the 'included_cols' list contains the correct column numbers (starting from 0).
• Check for indentation errors in the code, as they can cause unpredictable behavior.
• If the 'print' statement is inside the loop but still outputs only the last column, it could be due to an issue with the CSV file itself.

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