How to json_normalize a column with NaNs

• This question is specific to columns of data in a pandas.DataFrame
• This question depends on if the values in the columns are str, dict, or list type.
• This question addresses dealing with the NaN values, when df.dropna().reset_index(drop=True) isn't a valid option.

Case 1

• With a column of str type, the values in the column must be converted to dict type, with ast.literal_eval, before using .json_normalize.

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
from ast import literal_eval

df = pd.DataFrame({'col_str': ['{"a": "46", "b": "3", "c": "12"}', '{"b": "2", "c": "7"}', '{"c": "11"}', np.NaN]})

                            col_str
0  {"a": "46", "b": "3", "c": "12"}
1              {"b": "2", "c": "7"}
2                       {"c": "11"}
3                               NaN

type(df.iloc[0, 0])
[out]: str

df.col_str.apply(literal_eval)

Error:

df.col_str.apply(literal_eval) results in ValueError: malformed node or string: nan

Case 2

• With a column of dict type, use pandas.json_normalize to convert keys to column headers and values to rows

df = pd.DataFrame({'col_dict': [{"a": "46", "b": "3", "c": "12"}, {"b": "2", "c": "7"}, {"c": "11"}, np.NaN]})

                           col_dict
0  {'a': '46', 'b': '3', 'c': '12'}
1              {'b': '2', 'c': '7'}
2                       {'c': '11'}
3                               NaN

type(df.iloc[0, 0])
[out]: dict

pd.json_normalize(df.col_dict)

Error:

pd.json_normalize(df.col_dict) results in AttributeError: 'float' object has no attribute 'items'

Case 3

• In a column of str type, with the dict inside a list.
• To normalize the column
  • apply literal_eval, because explode doesn't work on str type
  • explode the column to separate the dicts to separate rows
  • normalize the column

df = pd.DataFrame({'col_str': ['[{"a": "46", "b": "3", "c": "12"}, {"b": "2", "c": "7"}]', '[{"b": "2", "c": "7"}, {"c": "11"}]', np.nan]})

                                                    col_str
0  [{"a": "46", "b": "3", "c": "12"}, {"b": "2", "c": "7"}]
1                       [{"b": "2", "c": "7"}, {"c": "11"}]
2                                                       NaN

type(df.iloc[0, 0])
[out]: str
    
df.col_str.apply(literal_eval)

Error:

df.col_str.apply(literal_eval) results in ValueError: malformed node or string: nan

Solution 1:

• There is always the option to:
  • df = df.dropna().reset_index(drop=True)
  • That's fine for the dummy data here, or when dealing with a dataframe where the other columns don't matter.
  • Not a great option for dataframes with additional columns that are required.

Case 1

• Since the column contains str types, fillna with '{}' (a str)

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
from ast import literal_eval

df = pd.DataFrame({'col_str': ['{"a": "46", "b": "3", "c": "12"}', '{"b": "2", "c": "7"}', '{"c": "11"}', np.NaN]})

                            col_str
0  {"a": "46", "b": "3", "c": "12"}
1              {"b": "2", "c": "7"}
2                       {"c": "11"}
3                               NaN

type(df.iloc[0, 0])
[out]: str

# fillna
df.col_str = df.col_str.fillna('{}')

# convert the column to dicts
df.col_str = df.col_str.apply(literal_eval)

# use json_normalize
df = df.join(pd.json_normalize(df.col_str)).drop(columns=['col_str'])

# display(df)
     a    b    c
0   46    3   12
1  NaN    2    7
2  NaN  NaN   11
3  NaN  NaN  NaN

Case 2

As of at least pandas 1.3.4, pd.json_normalize(df.col_dict) works without issue, at least for this simple example.

• Since the column contains dict types, fillna with {} (not a str)
• This needs to be filled using a dict-comprehension, since fillna({}) does not work

df = pd.DataFrame({'col_dict': [{"a": "46", "b": "3", "c": "12"}, {"b": "2", "c": "7"}, {"c": "11"}, np.NaN]})

                           col_dict
0  {'a': '46', 'b': '3', 'c': '12'}
1              {'b': '2', 'c': '7'}
2                       {'c': '11'}
3                               NaN

type(df.iloc[0, 0])
[out]: dict
    
# fillna
df.col_dict = df.col_dict.fillna({i: {} for i in df.index})

# use json_normalize
df = df.join(pd.json_normalize(df.col_dict)).drop(columns=['col_dict'])

# display(df)
     a    b    c
0   46    3   12
1  NaN    2    7
2  NaN  NaN   11
3  NaN  NaN  NaN

Case 3

1. Fill the NaNs with '[]' (a str)
2. Now literal_eval will work
3. .explode can be used on the column to separate the dict values to rows
4. Now the NaNs need to be filled with {} (not a str)
5. Then the column can be normalized

• For the case when the column is lists of dicts, that aren't str type, skip to .explode.

df = pd.DataFrame({'col_str': ['[{"a": "46", "b": "3", "c": "12"}, {"b": "2", "c": "7"}]', '[{"b": "2", "c": "7"}, {"c": "11"}]', np.nan]})

                                                    col_str
0  [{"a": "46", "b": "3", "c": "12"}, {"b": "2", "c": "7"}]
1                       [{"b": "2", "c": "7"}, {"c": "11"}]
2                                                       NaN

type(df.iloc[0, 0])
[out]: str
    
# fillna
df.col_str = df.col_str.fillna('[]')

# literal_eval
df.col_str = df.col_str.apply(literal_eval)

# explode
df = df.explode('col_str').reset_index(drop=True)

# fillna again
df.col_str = df.col_str.fillna({i: {} for i in df.index})

# use json_normalize
df = df.join(pd.json_normalize(df.col_str)).drop(columns=['col_str'])

# display(df)
     a    b    c
0   46    3   12
1  NaN    2    7
2  NaN    2    7
3  NaN  NaN   11
4  NaN  NaN  NaN