MeltIntro.ipynb

{
 "cells": [
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {
    "slideshow": {
     "slide_type": "slide"
    }
   },
   "source": [
    "## Column headers are values, not variable names\n",
    "\n",
    "*This is one of the more common manipulations to get data into a tidy form!*\n",
    "\n",
    "For example, many government data sets are in a format which is **good for visual lookup, but not for analysis and exploration**, with measurements in various years spread across multiple columns."
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "---\n",
    "\n",
    "*To preserve the mystery, select from the notebook menus*\n",
    "\n",
    "`Edit -> Clear All Outputs`\n",
    "\n",
    "---"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {
    "slideshow": {
     "slide_type": "slide"
    }
   },
   "source": [
    "### A toy example – years as column headers\n",
    "\n",
    "Let's define a simple, small DataFrame with that structure:"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 1,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "import pandas as pd"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 2,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [
    {
     "data": {
      "text/html": [
       "<div>\n",
       "<style scoped>\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th:only-of-type {\n",
       "        vertical-align: middle;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th {\n",
       "        vertical-align: top;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe thead th {\n",
       "        text-align: right;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "</style>\n",
       "<table border=\"1\" class=\"dataframe\">\n",
       "  <thead>\n",
       "    <tr style=\"text-align: right;\">\n",
       "      <th></th>\n",
       "      <th>state</th>\n",
       "      <th>2009</th>\n",
       "      <th>2010</th>\n",
       "      <th>2011</th>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </thead>\n",
       "  <tbody>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>0</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>1</td>\n",
       "      <td>4</td>\n",
       "      <td>7</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>1</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2</td>\n",
       "      <td>5</td>\n",
       "      <td>8</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>2</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>3</td>\n",
       "      <td>6</td>\n",
       "      <td>9</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </tbody>\n",
       "</table>\n",
       "</div>"
      ],
      "text/plain": [
       "    state  2009  2010  2011\n",
       "0   Maine     1     4     7\n",
       "1  Alaska     2     5     8\n",
       "2    Ohio     3     6     9"
      ]
     },
     "execution_count": 2,
     "metadata": {},
     "output_type": "execute_result"
    }
   ],
   "source": [
    "df = pd.DataFrame({'state':['Maine','Alaska','Ohio'],\n",
    "                  '2009':[1,2,3],\n",
    "                  '2010':[4,5,6],\n",
    "                  '2011':[7,8,9]})\n",
    "df"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {
    "slideshow": {
     "slide_type": "slide"
    }
   },
   "source": [
    "## Transforming from *wide* into *tall* format\n",
    "\n",
    "The problems with this format are \n",
    "\n",
    "- **The column headers are really a Dimension that should have its own *Year* column**\n",
    "- **The values that are spread across the multiple rows and columns in the body of the table are a Measure that should be in a single column.**\n",
    "\n",
    "Confusingly, every language seems to have its own term for this process / transformation:\n",
    "\n",
    "- **In Pandas you do a \"melt\"**\n",
    "- In the R `tidyr` package this is a \"gather\"\n",
    "- In OpenRefine it's a \"Transpose->Transpose cells across columns into rows...\" operation\n",
    "- In Tableau this is called a \"Pivot\"\n",
    "- Many call this process \"un-pivoting\", since a *Pivot Table* in Excel (and Pandas, actually) converts data in the opposite direction, from the *tall* format into *wide*. \n"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "### To `.melt()` you need to minimally supply the id_vars\n",
    "\n",
    "The argument name for the list of columns that don't get melted is `id_vars`. This argument is the default, so you can choose to leave out the `id_vars=`, but it's not a bad idea in your code to spell this out explicitly. \n",
    "\n",
    "- The `id_vars` \"identify\" the rest of the columns in each original row. **They are the IDs, or the key fields, which uniquely identify the rows in the original table.**\n",
    "- All the rest of the columns will get melted / un-pivoted\n",
    "\n",
    "*Notice that*\n",
    "\n",
    "- *the column headers by default end up in a column called \"variable\"*\n",
    "- *the table body values end up in a column called \"value\"*"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 3,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [
    {
     "data": {
      "text/html": [
       "<div>\n",
       "<style scoped>\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th:only-of-type {\n",
       "        vertical-align: middle;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th {\n",
       "        vertical-align: top;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe thead th {\n",
       "        text-align: right;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "</style>\n",
       "<table border=\"1\" class=\"dataframe\">\n",
       "  <thead>\n",
       "    <tr style=\"text-align: right;\">\n",
       "      <th></th>\n",
       "      <th>state</th>\n",
       "      <th>variable</th>\n",
       "      <th>value</th>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </thead>\n",
       "  <tbody>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>0</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>1</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>1</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>2</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>2</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>3</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>3</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>4</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>4</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>5</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>5</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>6</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>6</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>7</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>7</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>8</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>8</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>9</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </tbody>\n",
       "</table>\n",
       "</div>"
      ],
      "text/plain": [
       "    state variable  value\n",
       "0   Maine     2009      1\n",
       "1  Alaska     2009      2\n",
       "2    Ohio     2009      3\n",
       "3   Maine     2010      4\n",
       "4  Alaska     2010      5\n",
       "5    Ohio     2010      6\n",
       "6   Maine     2011      7\n",
       "7  Alaska     2011      8\n",
       "8    Ohio     2011      9"
      ]
     },
     "execution_count": 3,
     "metadata": {},
     "output_type": "execute_result"
    }
   ],
   "source": [
    "df2 = df.melt(id_vars=['state'])\n",
    "df2"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "### Or just specify the columns to be melted\n",
    "\n",
    "**If you don't want to keep any ID columns**, and just melt a few, you can just specify the value columns to melt."
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 4,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [
    {
     "data": {
      "text/html": [
       "<div>\n",
       "<style scoped>\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th:only-of-type {\n",
       "        vertical-align: middle;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th {\n",
       "        vertical-align: top;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe thead th {\n",
       "        text-align: right;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "</style>\n",
       "<table border=\"1\" class=\"dataframe\">\n",
       "  <thead>\n",
       "    <tr style=\"text-align: right;\">\n",
       "      <th></th>\n",
       "      <th>variable</th>\n",
       "      <th>value</th>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </thead>\n",
       "  <tbody>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>0</th>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>1</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>1</th>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>2</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>2</th>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>3</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>3</th>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>4</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>4</th>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>5</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>5</th>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>6</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>6</th>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>7</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>7</th>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>8</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>8</th>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>9</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </tbody>\n",
       "</table>\n",
       "</div>"
      ],
      "text/plain": [
       "  variable  value\n",
       "0     2009      1\n",
       "1     2009      2\n",
       "2     2009      3\n",
       "3     2010      4\n",
       "4     2010      5\n",
       "5     2010      6\n",
       "6     2011      7\n",
       "7     2011      8\n",
       "8     2011      9"
      ]
     },
     "execution_count": 4,
     "metadata": {},
     "output_type": "execute_result"
    }
   ],
   "source": [
    "df.melt(value_vars=['2009','2010','2011'])"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "## More complete `.melt()` statement\n",
    "\n",
    "More fully, you can explicitly specify any combination of these:\n",
    "\n",
    "- list of columns that don't get melted (and, thus, will get repeated): `id_vars=`\n",
    "- list of columns that get melted from columns into rows: `value_vars=`\n",
    "- name you want for the column that used to be column headers: `var_name=`\n",
    "- name you want for the column that used to be the table body values: `value_name=`\n"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 5,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [
    {
     "data": {
      "text/html": [
       "<div>\n",
       "<style scoped>\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th:only-of-type {\n",
       "        vertical-align: middle;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th {\n",
       "        vertical-align: top;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe thead th {\n",
       "        text-align: right;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "</style>\n",
       "<table border=\"1\" class=\"dataframe\">\n",
       "  <thead>\n",
       "    <tr style=\"text-align: right;\">\n",
       "      <th></th>\n",
       "      <th>state</th>\n",
       "      <th>year</th>\n",
       "      <th>number</th>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </thead>\n",
       "  <tbody>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>0</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>1</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>1</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>2</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>2</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>3</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>3</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>4</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>4</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>5</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>5</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>6</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>6</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>7</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>7</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>8</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>8</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>9</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </tbody>\n",
       "</table>\n",
       "</div>"
      ],
      "text/plain": [
       "    state  year  number\n",
       "0   Maine  2009       1\n",
       "1  Alaska  2009       2\n",
       "2    Ohio  2009       3\n",
       "3   Maine  2010       4\n",
       "4  Alaska  2010       5\n",
       "5    Ohio  2010       6\n",
       "6   Maine  2011       7\n",
       "7  Alaska  2011       8\n",
       "8    Ohio  2011       9"
      ]
     },
     "execution_count": 5,
     "metadata": {},
     "output_type": "execute_result"
    }
   ],
   "source": [
    "df2 = df.melt(id_vars=['state'], \n",
    "              value_vars=['2009','2010','2011'], \n",
    "              var_name='year', \n",
    "              value_name='number')\n",
    "df2"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "---\n",
    "\n",
    "## Sorting a DataFrame\n",
    "\n",
    "You can sort the rows of a DataFrame according to any column, or ordered combination of columns.\n",
    "\n",
    "- **The results won't be saved unless you do it with `inplace=True` or assign the results of the sort to a variable!**\n",
    "- Sometimes this is useful to just inspect a DataFrame in a certain sort order, when you don't really need to save the results.\n",
    "- Notice that the default is to sort in \"ascending\" order, or `ascending=True`. \n",
    "- To get descending, you need to specify `ascending=False`.\n",
    "\n",
    "*Notice that the Index doesn't get regenerated in the new sorted order by default. This is so you can do something like add another column from a Series and things won't be messed up just because you sorted the main DataFrame first!*\n"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 6,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [
    {
     "data": {
      "text/html": [
       "<div>\n",
       "<style scoped>\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th:only-of-type {\n",
       "        vertical-align: middle;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th {\n",
       "        vertical-align: top;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe thead th {\n",
       "        text-align: right;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "</style>\n",
       "<table border=\"1\" class=\"dataframe\">\n",
       "  <thead>\n",
       "    <tr style=\"text-align: right;\">\n",
       "      <th></th>\n",
       "      <th>state</th>\n",
       "      <th>year</th>\n",
       "      <th>number</th>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </thead>\n",
       "  <tbody>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>1</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>2</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>4</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>5</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>7</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>8</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>0</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>1</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>3</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>4</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>6</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>7</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>2</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>3</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>5</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>6</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>8</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>9</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </tbody>\n",
       "</table>\n",
       "</div>"
      ],
      "text/plain": [
       "    state  year  number\n",
       "1  Alaska  2009       2\n",
       "4  Alaska  2010       5\n",
       "7  Alaska  2011       8\n",
       "0   Maine  2009       1\n",
       "3   Maine  2010       4\n",
       "6   Maine  2011       7\n",
       "2    Ohio  2009       3\n",
       "5    Ohio  2010       6\n",
       "8    Ohio  2011       9"
      ]
     },
     "execution_count": 6,
     "metadata": {},
     "output_type": "execute_result"
    }
   ],
   "source": [
    "df2.sort_values(['state'])"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "#### See, it displayed `df2` in the sorted order above, but the sort didn't really get saved!"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 7,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [
    {
     "data": {
      "text/html": [
       "<div>\n",
       "<style scoped>\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th:only-of-type {\n",
       "        vertical-align: middle;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th {\n",
       "        vertical-align: top;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe thead th {\n",
       "        text-align: right;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "</style>\n",
       "<table border=\"1\" class=\"dataframe\">\n",
       "  <thead>\n",
       "    <tr style=\"text-align: right;\">\n",
       "      <th></th>\n",
       "      <th>state</th>\n",
       "      <th>year</th>\n",
       "      <th>number</th>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </thead>\n",
       "  <tbody>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>0</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>1</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>1</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>2</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>2</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>3</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>3</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>4</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>4</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>5</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>5</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>6</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>6</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>7</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>7</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>8</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>8</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>9</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </tbody>\n",
       "</table>\n",
       "</div>"
      ],
      "text/plain": [
       "    state  year  number\n",
       "0   Maine  2009       1\n",
       "1  Alaska  2009       2\n",
       "2    Ohio  2009       3\n",
       "3   Maine  2010       4\n",
       "4  Alaska  2010       5\n",
       "5    Ohio  2010       6\n",
       "6   Maine  2011       7\n",
       "7  Alaska  2011       8\n",
       "8    Ohio  2011       9"
      ]
     },
     "execution_count": 7,
     "metadata": {},
     "output_type": "execute_result"
    }
   ],
   "source": [
    "df2"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "### Sorting rows by multiple columns\n",
    "\n",
    "Here we'll sort the rows \"descending\" by 'year', and then within each year group by 'state'. It's not necessary, but it's slightly more readable if you specify the argument name `by`."
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 8,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [
    {
     "data": {
      "text/html": [
       "<div>\n",
       "<style scoped>\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th:only-of-type {\n",
       "        vertical-align: middle;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th {\n",
       "        vertical-align: top;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe thead th {\n",
       "        text-align: right;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "</style>\n",
       "<table border=\"1\" class=\"dataframe\">\n",
       "  <thead>\n",
       "    <tr style=\"text-align: right;\">\n",
       "      <th></th>\n",
       "      <th>state</th>\n",
       "      <th>year</th>\n",
       "      <th>number</th>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </thead>\n",
       "  <tbody>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>8</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>9</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>6</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>7</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>7</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>8</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>5</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>6</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>3</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>4</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>4</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>5</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>2</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>3</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>0</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>1</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>1</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>2</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </tbody>\n",
       "</table>\n",
       "</div>"
      ],
      "text/plain": [
       "    state  year  number\n",
       "8    Ohio  2011       9\n",
       "6   Maine  2011       7\n",
       "7  Alaska  2011       8\n",
       "5    Ohio  2010       6\n",
       "3   Maine  2010       4\n",
       "4  Alaska  2010       5\n",
       "2    Ohio  2009       3\n",
       "0   Maine  2009       1\n",
       "1  Alaska  2009       2"
      ]
     },
     "execution_count": 8,
     "metadata": {},
     "output_type": "execute_result"
    }
   ],
   "source": [
    "df2 = df2.sort_values(by=['year','state'], ascending=False)\n",
    "df2"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "markdown",
   "metadata": {},
   "source": [
    "#### `ascending` can also take a list the same length as `by`"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 9,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [
    {
     "data": {
      "text/html": [
       "<div>\n",
       "<style scoped>\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th:only-of-type {\n",
       "        vertical-align: middle;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe tbody tr th {\n",
       "        vertical-align: top;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "\n",
       "    .dataframe thead th {\n",
       "        text-align: right;\n",
       "    }\n",
       "</style>\n",
       "<table border=\"1\" class=\"dataframe\">\n",
       "  <thead>\n",
       "    <tr style=\"text-align: right;\">\n",
       "      <th></th>\n",
       "      <th>state</th>\n",
       "      <th>year</th>\n",
       "      <th>number</th>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </thead>\n",
       "  <tbody>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>7</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>8</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>6</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>7</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>8</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2011</td>\n",
       "      <td>9</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>4</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>5</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>3</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>4</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>5</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2010</td>\n",
       "      <td>6</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>1</th>\n",
       "      <td>Alaska</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>2</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>0</th>\n",
       "      <td>Maine</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>1</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "    <tr>\n",
       "      <th>2</th>\n",
       "      <td>Ohio</td>\n",
       "      <td>2009</td>\n",
       "      <td>3</td>\n",
       "    </tr>\n",
       "  </tbody>\n",
       "</table>\n",
       "</div>"
      ],
      "text/plain": [
       "    state  year  number\n",
       "7  Alaska  2011       8\n",
       "6   Maine  2011       7\n",
       "8    Ohio  2011       9\n",
       "4  Alaska  2010       5\n",
       "3   Maine  2010       4\n",
       "5    Ohio  2010       6\n",
       "1  Alaska  2009       2\n",
       "0   Maine  2009       1\n",
       "2    Ohio  2009       3"
      ]
     },
     "execution_count": 9,
     "metadata": {},
     "output_type": "execute_result"
    }
   ],
   "source": [
    "df2 = df2.sort_values(by=['year','state'], ascending=[False,True])\n",
    "df2"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": null,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": []
  }
 ],
 "metadata": {
  "kernelspec": {
   "display_name": "Python 3",
   "language": "python",
   "name": "python3"
  },
  "language_info": {
   "codemirror_mode": {
    "name": "ipython",
    "version": 3
   },
   "file_extension": ".py",
   "mimetype": "text/x-python",
   "name": "python",
   "nbconvert_exporter": "python",
   "pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
   "version": "3.8.5"
  }
 },
 "nbformat": 4,
 "nbformat_minor": 4
}