DataFusion Python DataFrame API Guide
What Is DataFusion?
DataFusion is an in-process query engine built on Apache Arrow. It is not a
database -- there is no server, no connection string, and no external
dependencies. You create a SessionContext, point it at data (Parquet, CSV,
JSON, Arrow IPC, Pandas, Polars, or raw Python dicts/lists), and run queries
using either SQL or the DataFrame API described below.
All data flows through Apache Arrow. The canonical Python implementation is
PyArrow (pyarrow.RecordBatch / pyarrow.Table), but any library that
conforms to the Arrow C Data Interface
can interoperate with DataFusion.
Core Abstractions
| Abstraction | Role | Key import |
|---|---|---|
SessionContext | Entry point. Loads data, runs SQL, produces DataFrames. | from datafusion import SessionContext |
DataFrame | Lazy query builder. Each method returns a new DataFrame. | Returned by context methods |
Expr | Expression tree node (column ref, literal, function call, ...). | from datafusion import col, lit |
functions | 290+ built-in scalar, aggregate, and window functions. | from datafusion import functions as F |
functions.spark | PySpark-compatible function surface (parameter names match pyspark.sql.functions). | from datafusion.functions import spark |
Import Conventions
pythonfrom datafusion import SessionContext, col, lit from datafusion import functions as F from datafusion.functions import spark # only when porting pyspark code
Data Loading
pythonctx = SessionContext() # From files df = ctx.read_parquet("path/to/data.parquet") df = ctx.read_csv("path/to/data.csv") df = ctx.read_json("path/to/data.json") # From Python objects df = ctx.from_pydict({"a": [1, 2, 3], "b": ["x", "y", "z"]}) df = ctx.from_pylist([{"a": 1, "b": "x"}, {"a": 2, "b": "y"}]) df = ctx.from_pandas(pandas_df) df = ctx.from_polars(polars_df) df = ctx.from_arrow(arrow_table) df = ctx.read_batch(record_batch) # one pa.RecordBatch, no named table df = ctx.read_batches([batch1, batch2]) # several pa.RecordBatch # From SQL df = ctx.sql("SELECT a, b FROM my_table WHERE a > 1")
To make a DataFrame queryable by name in SQL, register it first:
pythonctx.register_parquet("my_table", "path/to/data.parquet") ctx.register_csv("my_table", "path/to/data.csv")
DataFrame Operations Quick Reference
Every method returns a new DataFrame (immutable/lazy). Chain them fluently.
Projection
pythondf.select("a", "b") # preferred: plain names as strings df.select(col("a"), (col("b") + 1).alias("b_plus_1")) # use col()/Expr only when you need an expression df.with_column("new_col", col("a") + lit(10)) # add one column df.with_columns( col("a").alias("x"), y=col("b") + lit(1), # named keyword form ) df.drop("unwanted_col") df.with_column_renamed("old_name", "new_name")
When a column is referenced by name alone, pass the name as a string rather
than wrapping it in col(). Reach for col() only when the projection needs
arithmetic, aliasing, casting, or another expression operation.
Case sensitivity: both select("Name") and col("Name") lowercase the
identifier. For a column whose real name has uppercase letters, embed double
quotes inside the string: select('"MyCol"') or col('"MyCol"'). Without the
inner quotes the lookup will fail with No field named mycol.
Filtering
pythondf.filter(col("a") > 10) df.filter(col("a") > 10, col("b") == "x") # multiple = AND df.filter("a > 10") # SQL expression string
Raw Python values on the right-hand side of a comparison are auto-wrapped
into literals by the Expr operators, so prefer col("a") > 10 over
col("a") > lit(10). See the Comparisons section and pitfall #2 for the
full rule.
Aggregation
python# GROUP BY a, compute sum(b) and count(*) df.aggregate(["a"], [F.sum(col("b")), F.count(col("a"))]) # HAVING equivalent: use the filter keyword on the aggregate function df.aggregate( ["region"], [F.sum(col("sales"), filter=col("sales") > 1000).alias("large_sales")], )
As with select(), group keys can be passed as plain name strings. Reach for
col(...) only when the grouping expression needs arithmetic, aliasing,
casting, or another expression operation.
Most aggregate functions accept an optional filter keyword argument. When
provided, only rows where the filter expression is true contribute to the
aggregate.
Sorting
pythondf.sort("a") # ascending (plain name, preferred) df.sort(col("a")) # ascending via col() df.sort(col("a").sort(ascending=False)) # descending df.sort(col("a").sort(nulls_first=False)) # override null placement df.sort_by("a", "b") # ascending-only shortcut
As with select() and aggregate(), bare column references can be passed as
plain name strings. A plain expression passed to sort() is already treated
as ascending, so reach for col(...).sort(...) only when you need to override
a default (descending order or null placement). Writing
col("a").sort(ascending=True) is redundant.
For ascending-only sorts with no null-placement override, df.sort_by(...) is
a shorter alias for df.sort(...).
Joining
python# Equi-join on shared column name df1.join(df2, on="key") df1.join(df2, on="key", how="left") # Different column names df1.join(df2, left_on="id", right_on="fk_id", how="inner") # Expression-based join (supports inequality predicates) df1.join_on(df2, col("a") == col("b"), how="inner") # Semi join: keep rows from left where a match exists in right (like EXISTS) df1.join(df2, on="key", how="semi") # Anti join: keep rows from left where NO match exists in right (like NOT EXISTS) df1.join(df2, on="key", how="anti")
Join types: "inner", "left", "right", "full", "semi", "anti".
Inner is the default how. Prefer df1.join(df2, on="key") over
df1.join(df2, on="key", how="inner") — drop how= unless you need a
non-inner join type.
When the two sides' join columns have different native names, use
left_on=/right_on= with the original names rather than aliasing one side
to match the other — see pitfall #7.
Window Functions
pythonfrom datafusion import WindowFrame # Row number partitioned by group, ordered by value df.window( F.row_number( partition_by=[col("group")], order_by=[col("value")], ).alias("rn") ) # Using a Window object for reuse from datafusion.expr import Window win = Window( partition_by=[col("group")], order_by=[col("value").sort(ascending=True)], ) df.select( col("group"), col("value"), F.sum(col("value")).over(win).alias("running_total"), ) # With explicit frame bounds win = Window( partition_by=[col("group")], order_by=[col("value").sort(ascending=True)], window_frame=WindowFrame("rows", 0, None), # current row to unbounded following )
Set Operations
pythondf1.union(df2) # UNION ALL (by position) df1.union(df2, distinct=True) # UNION DISTINCT df1.union_by_name(df2) # match columns by name, not position df1.intersect(df2) # INTERSECT ALL df1.intersect(df2, distinct=True) # INTERSECT (distinct) df1.except_all(df2) # EXCEPT ALL df1.except_all(df2, distinct=True) # EXCEPT (distinct)
Limit and Offset
pythondf.limit(10) # first 10 rows df.limit(10, offset=20) # skip 20, then take 10
Deduplication
pythondf.distinct() # remove duplicate rows df.distinct_on( # keep first row per group (like DISTINCT ON in Postgres) [col("a")], # uniqueness columns [col("a"), col("b")], # output columns [col("b").sort(ascending=True)], # which row to keep )
Executing and Collecting Results
DataFrames are lazy until you collect.
pythondf.show() # print formatted table to stdout batches = df.collect() # list[pa.RecordBatch] arr = df.collect_column("col_name") # pa.Array | pa.ChunkedArray (single column) table = df.to_arrow_table() # pa.Table pandas_df = df.to_pandas() # pd.DataFrame polars_df = df.to_polars() # pl.DataFrame py_dict = df.to_pydict() # dict[str, list] py_list = df.to_pylist() # list[dict] count = df.count() # int df = df.cache() # materialize in memory, return DataFrame
Date and Timestamp Type Conversion
The Python type returned by to_pydict() / to_pylist() depends on the Arrow
column type, and the mapping is inherited from PyArrow:
| Arrow type | Python type returned |
|---|---|
timestamp(s) / (ms) / (us) | datetime.datetime |
timestamp(ns) | pandas.Timestamp |
date32 / date64 | datetime.date |
duration(s) / (ms) / (us) | datetime.timedelta |
duration(ns) | pandas.Timedelta |
The nanosecond-precision fallback to pandas types is the main surprise:
pandas is not a hard dependency of datafusion, but PyArrow reaches for it
when datetime.datetime / datetime.timedelta would lose precision (stdlib
types only go to microseconds). If you need plain stdlib types, cast to a
coarser unit before collecting, e.g.
df.select(col("ts").cast(pa.timestamp("us"))).
df.to_pandas() has its own footgun for dates: pandas has no pure-date dtype,
so a date32/date64 column comes back as an object column of
datetime.date values rather than datetime64[ns]. If downstream code
expects a datetime column, cast on the DataFusion side first:
col("ship_date").cast(pa.timestamp("ns")).
Streaming Results
Prefer streaming over collect() when the result is too large to materialize
in memory, when you want to start processing before the query finishes, or
when you may break out of the loop early. execute_stream() pulls one
RecordBatch at a time from the execution plan rather than buffering the
whole result up front.
python# Single-partition stream; batch is a datafusion.RecordBatch stream = df.execute_stream() for batch in stream: process(batch.to_pyarrow()) # convert to pa.RecordBatch if needed # DataFrame is iterable directly (delegates to execute_stream) for batch in df: process(batch.to_pyarrow()) # One stream per partition, for parallel consumption for stream in df.execute_stream_partitioned(): for batch in stream: process(batch.to_pyarrow())
Async iteration is also supported via async for batch in df: ... (or
df.execute_stream()), which is useful when batches are interleaved with
other I/O.
Caching Intermediate Results
df.cache() materializes a DataFrame as an in-memory table and returns a new
DataFrame backed by it. Reach for it when the same intermediate result feeds
multiple downstream queries — without cache(), each branch re-executes the
full upstream plan (re-reading files, recomputing filters/aggregates).
pythonbase = ( ctx.read_parquet("orders.parquet") .filter(col("status") == "shipped") .cache() # materialize once, reuse below ) by_region = base.aggregate(["region"], [F.sum(col("amount")).alias("total")]) by_customer = base.aggregate(["customer"], [F.sum(col("amount")).alias("total")])
Skip cache() for single-use DataFrames — the lazy plan is already optimal.
The cached table is owned by the DataFrame returned from cache() (and any
DataFrames chained from it). To free the memory, drop every reference — let
them go out of scope, or del base; del by_region; del by_customer.
Writing Results
pythondf.write_parquet("output.parquet") df.write_csv("output.csv") df.write_json("output.json")
You can also pass a directory path (e.g., "output/") to write a multi-file
partitioned output.
Expression Building
Column References and Literals
pythoncol("column_name") # reference a column lit(42) # integer literal lit("hello") # string literal lit(3.14) # float literal lit(pa.scalar(value)) # PyArrow scalar (preserves Arrow type)
lit() accepts PyArrow scalars directly -- prefer this over converting Arrow
data to Python and back when working with values extracted from query results.
Arithmetic
pythoncol("price") * col("quantity") # multiplication col("a") + lit(1) # addition col("a") - col("b") # subtraction col("a") / lit(2) # division col("a") % lit(3) # modulo
Date Arithmetic
Date32 and Date64 columns both require Interval types for arithmetic,
not Duration. Use PyArrow's month_day_nano_interval type, which takes a
(months, days, nanos) tuple:
pythonimport pyarrow as pa # Subtract 90 days from a date column col("ship_date") - lit(pa.scalar((0, 90, 0), type=pa.month_day_nano_interval())) # Subtract 3 months col("ship_date") - lit(pa.scalar((3, 0, 0), type=pa.month_day_nano_interval()))
Important: lit(datetime.timedelta(days=90)) creates a Duration(µs)
literal, which is not compatible with Date32/Date64 arithmetic
(Duration(ms) and Duration(ns) are rejected too). Always use
pa.month_day_nano_interval() for date operations.
Timestamps behave differently: Timestamp columns do accept Duration,
so col("ts") - lit(datetime.timedelta(days=1)) works. The interval-only
rule applies specifically to date columns.
Comparisons
pythoncol("a") > 10 col("a") >= 10 col("a") < 10 col("a") <= 10 col("a") == "x" col("a") != "x" col("a") == None # same as col("a").is_null() col("a") != None # same as col("a").is_not_null()
Comparison operators auto-wrap the right-hand Python value into a literal,
so writing col("a") > lit(10) is redundant. Drop the lit() in
comparisons. Reach for lit() only when auto-wrapping does not apply — see
pitfall #2.
Boolean Logic
Important: Python's and, or, not keywords do NOT work with Expr
objects. You must use the bitwise operators:
python(col("a") > 1) & (col("b") < 10) # AND (col("a") > 1) | (col("b") < 10) # OR ~(col("a") > 1) # NOT
Always wrap each comparison in parentheses when combining with &, |, ~
because Python's operator precedence for bitwise operators is different from
logical operators.
Null Handling
pythoncol("a").is_null() col("a").is_not_null() col("a").fill_null(lit(0)) # replace NULL with a value (single expression) F.coalesce(col("a"), col("b")) # first non-null value F.nullif(col("a"), lit(0)) # return NULL if a == 0
To fill nulls across the whole DataFrame (optionally limited to a subset of columns), use the DataFrame-level method:
pythondf.fill_null(0) # every column df.fill_null(0, subset=["a", "b"]) # only these columns
CASE / WHEN
python# Simple CASE (matching on a single expression) status_label = ( F.case(col("status")) .when(lit("A"), lit("Active")) .when(lit("I"), lit("Inactive")) .otherwise(lit("Unknown")) ) # Searched CASE (each branch has its own predicate) severity = ( F.when(col("value") > 100, lit("high")) .when(col("value") > 50, lit("medium")) .otherwise(lit("low")) )
Casting
pythonimport pyarrow as pa col("a").cast(pa.float64()) col("a").cast(pa.utf8()) col("a").cast(pa.date32()) col("a").try_cast(pa.int32()) # like cast(), but yields NULL on failure instead of erroring
To cast several columns at once at the DataFrame level, pass a mapping to
df.cast(...):
pythondf.cast({"a": pa.float64(), "b": pa.int32()})
Aliasing
python(col("a") + col("b")).alias("total")
BETWEEN and IN
pythoncol("a").between(1, 10) # 1 <= a <= 10 (bounds auto-wrap) F.in_list(col("a"), [lit(1), lit(2), lit(3)]) # a IN (1, 2, 3) F.in_list(col("a"), [lit(1), lit(2)], negated=True) # a NOT IN (1, 2)
Struct and Array Access
pythoncol("struct_col")["field_name"] # access struct field col("array_col")[0] # access array element (0-indexed) col("array_col")[1:3] # array slice (0-indexed)
Lambda Functions
Some array functions take a lambda function that runs once per element. Pass a
Python lambda directly — its parameter names become the lambda parameters and
its return value becomes the body:
pythonF.array_transform(col("a"), lambda v: v * 2) # map: [1,2,3] -> [2,4,6] F.array_filter(col("a"), lambda v: v > 2) # filter: [1,2,3] -> [3] F.array_any_match(col("a"), lambda v: v > 3) # predicate: any element > 3
For explicit parameter names, build the lambda by hand:
pythonF.array_transform(col("a"), F.lambda_(["v"], F.lambda_var("v") * lit(2)))
SQL-to-DataFrame Reference
| SQL | DataFrame API |
|---|---|
SELECT a, b | df.select("a", "b") |
SELECT a, b + 1 AS c | df.select(col("a"), (col("b") + lit(1)).alias("c")) |
SELECT *, a + 1 AS c | df.with_column("c", col("a") + lit(1)) |
WHERE a > 10 | df.filter(col("a") > 10) |
GROUP BY a with SUM(b) | df.aggregate(["a"], [F.sum(col("b"))]) |
SUM(b) FILTER (WHERE b > 100) | F.sum(col("b"), filter=col("b") > 100) |
ORDER BY a DESC | df.sort(col("a").sort(ascending=False)) |
LIMIT 10 OFFSET 5 | df.limit(10, offset=5) |
DISTINCT | df.distinct() |
a INNER JOIN b ON a.id = b.id | a.join(b, on="id") |
a LEFT JOIN b ON a.id = b.fk | a.join(b, left_on="id", right_on="fk", how="left") |
WHERE EXISTS (SELECT ...) | a.join(b, on="key", how="semi") |
WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT ...) | a.join(b, on="key", how="anti") |
UNION ALL | df1.union(df2) |
UNION (distinct) | df1.union(df2, distinct=True) |
INTERSECT ALL | df1.intersect(df2) |
INTERSECT (distinct) | df1.intersect(df2, distinct=True) |
EXCEPT ALL | df1.except_all(df2) |
EXCEPT (distinct) | df1.except_all(df2, distinct=True) |
CASE x WHEN 1 THEN 'a' END | F.case(col("x")).when(lit(1), lit("a")).end() |
CASE WHEN x > 1 THEN 'a' END | F.when(col("x") > 1, lit("a")).end() |
x IN (1, 2, 3) | F.in_list(col("x"), [lit(1), lit(2), lit(3)]) |
x BETWEEN 1 AND 10 | col("x").between(1, 10) |
CAST(x AS DOUBLE) | col("x").cast(pa.float64()) |
ROW_NUMBER() OVER (...) | F.row_number(partition_by=[...], order_by=[...]) |
SUM(x) OVER (...) | F.sum(col("x")).over(window) |
x IS NULL | col("x").is_null() |
COALESCE(a, b) | F.coalesce(col("a"), col("b")) |
Common Pitfalls
-
Boolean operators: Use
&,|,~-- not Python'sand,or,not. Always parenthesize:(col("a") > 1) & (col("b") < 2). -
Wrapping scalars with
lit(): Prefer raw Python values on the right-hand side of comparisons —col("a") > 10,col("name") == "Alice"— because the Expr comparison operators auto-wrap them. Writingcol("a") > lit(10)is redundant. Reservelit()for places where auto-wrapping does not apply:- standalone scalars passed into function calls:
F.coalesce(col("a"), lit(0)), notF.coalesce(col("a"), 0) - arithmetic between two literals with no column involved:
lit(1) - col("discount")is fine, butlit(1) - lit(2)needs both - values that must carry a specific Arrow type, via
lit(pa.scalar(...)) .when(...),.otherwise(...),F.nullif(...),F.in_list(...)and similar method/function arguments (note:.between(...)auto-wraps its bounds, socol("a").between(1, 10)needs nolit())
- standalone scalars passed into function calls:
-
Column name quoting: Column names are normalized to lowercase by default in both
select("...")andcol("..."). To reference a column with uppercase letters, use double quotes inside the string:select('"MyColumn"')orcol('"MyColumn"'). -
DataFrames are immutable: Every method returns a new DataFrame. You must capture the return value:
pythondf = df.filter(col("a") > 1) # correct df.filter(col("a") > 1) # WRONG -- result is discarded -
Window frame defaults: When using
order_byin a window, the default frame isRANGE BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND CURRENT ROW. For a full partition frame, setwindow_frame=WindowFrame("rows", None, None). -
Arithmetic on aggregates belongs in a later
select, not insideaggregate(applies to datafusion-python 53 and earlier; fixed in 54): Each item in the aggregate list must be a single aggregate call (optionally aliased). Combining aggregates with arithmetic insideaggregate(...)fails withInternal error: Invalid aggregate expression. Alias the aggregates, then compute the combination downstream:python# WRONG -- arithmetic wraps two aggregates df.aggregate([], [(lit(100) * F.sum(col("a")) / F.sum(col("b"))).alias("ratio")]) # CORRECT -- aggregate first, then combine (df.aggregate([], [F.sum(col("a")).alias("num"), F.sum(col("b")).alias("den")]) .select((lit(100) * col("num") / col("den")).alias("ratio"))) -
Don't alias a join column to match the other side: When equi-joining with
on="key", renaming the join column on one side via.alias("key")in a fresh projection creates a schema where one side'skeyis qualified (?table?.key) and the other is unqualified. The join then fails withSchema contains qualified field name ... and unqualified field name ... which would be ambiguous. Useleft_on=/right_on=with the native names, or usejoin_on(...)with an explicit equality.python# WRONG -- alias on one side produces ambiguous schema after join failed = orders.select(col("o_orderkey").alias("l_orderkey")) li.join(failed, on="l_orderkey") # ambiguous l_orderkey error # CORRECT -- keep native names, use left_on/right_on failed = orders.select("o_orderkey") li.join(failed, left_on="l_orderkey", right_on="o_orderkey") # ALSO CORRECT -- explicit predicate via join_on # (note: join_on keeps both key columns in the output, unlike on="key") li.join_on(failed, col("l_orderkey") == col("o_orderkey"))When the same column name exists on both sides,
DataFrame.col(name)(andDataFrame.column(name)) returns a column reference qualified to that DataFrame, which disambiguates the predicate explicitly:pythonli.join_on(failed, li.col("l_orderkey") == failed.col("o_orderkey"))
Idiomatic Patterns
Fluent Chaining
pythonresult = ( ctx.read_parquet("data.parquet") .filter(col("year") >= 2020) .select(col("region"), col("sales")) .aggregate(["region"], [F.sum(col("sales")).alias("total")]) .sort(col("total").sort(ascending=False)) .limit(10) ) result.show()
Using Variables as CTEs
Instead of SQL CTEs (WITH ... AS), assign intermediate DataFrames to
variables:
pythonbase = ctx.read_parquet("orders.parquet").filter(col("status") == "shipped") by_region = base.aggregate(["region"], [F.sum(col("amount")).alias("total")]) top_regions = by_region.filter(col("total") > 10000)
Reusing Expressions as Variables
Just like DataFrames, expressions (Expr) can be stored in variables and used
anywhere an Expr is expected. This is useful for building up complex
expressions or reusing a computed value across multiple operations:
python# Build an expression and reuse it disc_price = col("price") * (lit(1) - col("discount")) df = df.select( col("id"), disc_price.alias("disc_price"), (disc_price * (lit(1) + col("tax"))).alias("total"), ) # Use a collected scalar as an expression max_val = result_df.collect_column("max_price")[0] # PyArrow scalar cutoff = lit(max_val) - lit(pa.scalar((0, 90, 0), type=pa.month_day_nano_interval())) df = df.filter(col("ship_date") <= cutoff) # cutoff is already an Expr
Important: Do not wrap an Expr in lit(). lit() is for converting
Python/PyArrow values into expressions. If a value is already an Expr, use it
directly.
Window Functions for Scalar Subqueries
Where SQL uses a correlated scalar subquery, the idiomatic DataFrame approach is a window function:
sql-- SQL scalar subquery SELECT *, (SELECT SUM(b) FROM t WHERE t.group = s.group) AS group_total FROM s
python# DataFrame: window function win = Window(partition_by=[col("group")]) df = df.with_column("group_total", F.sum(col("b")).over(win))
Semi/Anti Joins for EXISTS / NOT EXISTS
sql-- SQL: WHERE EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM other WHERE other.key = main.key) -- DataFrame: result = main.join(other, on="key", how="semi") -- SQL: WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM other WHERE other.key = main.key) -- DataFrame: result = main.join(other, on="key", how="anti")
Computed Columns
python# Add computed columns while keeping all originals df = df.with_column("full_name", F.concat(col("first"), lit(" "), col("last"))) df = df.with_column("discounted", col("price") * lit(0.9))
Available Functions (Categorized)
The functions module (imported as F) provides 290+ functions. Key categories:
Aggregate: sum, avg, min, max, count, count_star, median,
stddev, stddev_pop, var_samp, var_pop, corr, covar, approx_distinct,
approx_median, approx_percentile_cont, array_agg, string_agg,
first_value, last_value, bit_and, bit_or, bit_xor, bool_and,
bool_or, grouping, regr_* (9 regression functions)
Window: row_number, rank, dense_rank, percent_rank, cume_dist,
ntile, lag, lead, first_value, last_value, nth_value
String: length, lower, upper, trim, ltrim, rtrim, lpad,
rpad, starts_with, ends_with, contains, substr, substring,
replace, reverse, repeat, split_part, concat, concat_ws,
initcap, ascii, chr, left, right, strpos, translate, overlay,
levenshtein
F.substr(str, start) returns the tail of the string from start onward;
F.substr(str, start, length=n) returns n characters from start, like
SQL's SUBSTRING(str FROM start FOR length). start and length accept
native ints. F.substring(str, start, length) is the same with length
required. For a fixed-length prefix, F.left(col("s"), lit(n)) is cleanest.
The length argument to substr requires datafusion-python 55 or newer.
On earlier versions a third argument raises TypeError: substr() takes 2 positional arguments but 3 were given; use F.substring there.
pythonF.substr(col("c_phone"), 1, length=2) # first 2 characters F.substring(col("c_phone"), lit(1), lit(2)) # same, on any version F.left(col("c_phone"), lit(2)) # prefix shortcut
Math: abs, ceil, floor, round, trunc, sqrt, cbrt, exp,
ln, log, log2, log10, pow, signum, pi, random, factorial,
gcd, lcm, greatest, least, sin/cos/tan and inverse/hyperbolic variants
Date/Time: now, today, current_date, current_time,
current_timestamp, date_part, date_trunc, date_bin, extract,
to_timestamp, to_timestamp_millis, to_timestamp_micros,
to_timestamp_nanos, to_timestamp_seconds, to_unixtime, from_unixtime,
make_date, make_time, to_date, to_time, to_local_time, date_format
Conditional: case, when, coalesce, nullif, ifnull, nvl, nvl2
Array/List: array, make_array, array_agg, array_length,
array_element, array_slice, array_append, array_prepend,
array_concat, array_contains, array_has, array_has_all, array_has_any, array_position,
array_remove, array_distinct, array_sort, array_reverse, flatten,
array_to_string, array_intersect, array_union, array_except,
generate_series
(Most array_* functions also have list_* aliases.)
Struct/Map: struct, named_struct, get_field, make_map, map_keys,
map_values, map_entries, map_extract
Regex: regexp_like, regexp_match, regexp_replace, regexp_count,
regexp_instr
Hash: md5, sha224, sha256, sha384, sha512, digest
Type: arrow_typeof, arrow_cast, arrow_try_cast, arrow_field,
arrow_metadata, cast_to_type, with_metadata
Note: cast_to_type(value, type_ref, *, try_cast=False) is the single
Python entry point for both upstream cast_to_type and try_cast_to_type;
pass try_cast=True for the variant that returns NULL on failure.
Other: in_list, order_by, alias, col, encode, decode,
to_hex, to_char, uuid, version, bit_length, octet_length
Spark-Compatible Functions
A separate datafusion.functions.spark namespace mirrors the
pyspark.sql.functions API for callers porting code from PySpark.
pythonfrom datafusion.functions import spark
Use it for DataFrame work; for SQL, register the Spark UDFs first:
pythonctx = SessionContext() ctx.enable_spark_functions() # makes Spark UDFs visible to SQL ctx.sql("SELECT sha2('hello', 256)").show()
Coverage spans aggregate, array, bitmap, bitwise, datetime, hash, JSON,
map, math, string, URL, and conditional categories. The authoritative
list of what is currently exposed is the __all__ in
python/datafusion/functions/spark.py:
bashpython -c "from datafusion.functions import spark; print(sorted(spark.__all__))"
When you need to know whether a specific pyspark function is available,
check __all__ rather than this skill — the list there moves with the
code; any enumeration here would drift.
Semantic divergences vs the default namespace. Functions that exist in
both functions and functions.spark may behave differently:
| Function | Default functions | functions.spark |
|---|---|---|
concat | NULL inputs treated as empty | NULL inputs propagate to NULL |
round | HALF_EVEN (banker's) | HALF_UP |
trunc | Numeric truncation | Date truncation |
Pick the namespace whose semantics match your intent — both stay imported
side by side; enable_spark_functions() only affects SQL.
Parameter names match pyspark exactly. The spark namespace uses
pyspark parameter names (col, str, numBits, partToExtract, ...) so
you can paste pyspark code and keep keyword arguments working. The default
namespace keeps DataFusion's parameter names.


