"display.width" should default to 'None'

[bear24rw]

What is the reasoning for defaulting "display.width" to 80? Pandas knows the width of the terminal so why not default "display.width" to 'None' and let Pandas wrap to the terminal width by default?

[jreback]

this only matters if the terminal width cannot be detected, e.g. in a notebook.

[bear24rw]

What I'm saying is that when the terminal width can be detected why does it still wrap at 80?

[jreback]

no it shouldn't
if u can show a case where it does use the with that would be a bug

[bear24rw]

Here is a simple example. Pandas correctly identifies the terminal as being 180 characters wide but still wraps at 80. Setting "display.width" to None fixes the issue and it wraps correctly.

In [24]: import pandas

In [25]: import seaborn

In [26]: pandas.__version__
Out[26]: u'0.17.0'

In [27]: pandas.util.terminal.get_terminal_size()
Out[27]: (180, 50)

In [28]: seaborn.load_dataset("titanic")
Out[28]:
     survived  pclass     sex  age  sibsp  parch      fare embarked   class  \
0           0       3    male   22      1      0    7.2500        S   Third
1           1       1  female   38      1      0   71.2833        C   First
2           1       3  female   26      0      0    7.9250        S   Third
3           1       1  female   35      1      0   53.1000        S   First
4           0       3    male   35      0      0    8.0500        S   Third
5           0       3    male  NaN      0      0    8.4583        Q   Third
6           0       1    male   54      0      0   51.8625        S   First
7           0       3    male    2      3      1   21.0750        S   Third
8           1       3  female   27      0      2   11.1333        S   Third
9           1       2  female   14      1      0   30.0708        C  Second
10          1       3  female    4      1      1   16.7000        S   Third
11          1       1  female   58      0      0   26.5500        S   First
12          0       3    male   20      0      0    8.0500        S   Third
13          0       3    male   39      1      5   31.2750        S   Third
14          0       3  female   14      0      0    7.8542        S   Third
15          1       2  female   55      0      0   16.0000        S  Second
16          0       3    male    2      4      1   29.1250        Q   Third
17          1       2    male  NaN      0      0   13.0000        S  Second
18          0       3  female   31      1      0   18.0000        S   Third
19          1       3  female  NaN      0      0    7.2250        C   Third
20          0       2    male   35      0      0   26.0000        S  Second
21          1       2    male   34      0      0   13.0000        S  Second
22          1       3  female   15      0      0    8.0292        Q   Third
23          1       1    male   28      0      0   35.5000        S   First
24          0       3  female    8      3      1   21.0750        S   Third
25          1       3  female   38      1      5   31.3875        S   Third
26          0       3    male  NaN      0      0    7.2250        C   Third
27          0       1    male   19      3      2  263.0000        S   First
28          1       3  female  NaN      0      0    7.8792        Q   Third
29          0       3    male  NaN      0      0    7.8958        S   Third
..        ...     ...     ...  ...    ...    ...       ...      ...     ...
861         0       2    male   21      1      0   11.5000        S  Second
862         1       1  female   48      0      0   25.9292        S   First
863         0       3  female  NaN      8      2   69.5500        S   Third
864         0       2    male   24      0      0   13.0000        S  Second
865         1       2  female   42      0      0   13.0000        S  Second
866         1       2  female   27      1      0   13.8583        C  Second
867         0       1    male   31      0      0   50.4958        S   First
868         0       3    male  NaN      0      0    9.5000        S   Third
869         1       3    male    4      1      1   11.1333        S   Third
870         0       3    male   26      0      0    7.8958        S   Third
871         1       1  female   47      1      1   52.5542        S   First
872         0       1    male   33      0      0    5.0000        S   First
873         0       3    male   47      0      0    9.0000        S   Third
874         1       2  female   28      1      0   24.0000        C  Second
875         1       3  female   15      0      0    7.2250        C   Third
876         0       3    male   20      0      0    9.8458        S   Third
877         0       3    male   19      0      0    7.8958        S   Third
878         0       3    male  NaN      0      0    7.8958        S   Third
879         1       1  female   56      0      1   83.1583        C   First
880         1       2  female   25      0      1   26.0000        S  Second
881         0       3    male   33      0      0    7.8958        S   Third
882         0       3  female   22      0      0   10.5167        S   Third
883         0       2    male   28      0      0   10.5000        S  Second
884         0       3    male   25      0      0    7.0500        S   Third
885         0       3  female   39      0      5   29.1250        Q   Third
886         0       2    male   27      0      0   13.0000        S  Second
887         1       1  female   19      0      0   30.0000        S   First
888         0       3  female  NaN      1      2   23.4500        S   Third
889         1       1    male   26      0      0   30.0000        C   First
890         0       3    male   32      0      0    7.7500        Q   Third

       who adult_male deck  embark_town alive  alone
0      man       True  NaN  Southampton    no  False
1    woman      False    C    Cherbourg   yes  False
2    woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes   True
3    woman      False    C  Southampton   yes  False
4      man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
5      man       True  NaN   Queenstown    no   True
6      man       True    E  Southampton    no   True
7    child      False  NaN  Southampton    no  False
8    woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes  False
9    child      False  NaN    Cherbourg   yes  False
10   child      False    G  Southampton   yes  False
11   woman      False    C  Southampton   yes   True
12     man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
13     man       True  NaN  Southampton    no  False
14   child      False  NaN  Southampton    no   True
15   woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes   True
16   child      False  NaN   Queenstown    no  False
17     man       True  NaN  Southampton   yes   True
18   woman      False  NaN  Southampton    no  False
19   woman      False  NaN    Cherbourg   yes   True
20     man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
21     man       True    D  Southampton   yes   True
22   child      False  NaN   Queenstown   yes   True
23     man       True    A  Southampton   yes   True
24   child      False  NaN  Southampton    no  False
25   woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes  False
26     man       True  NaN    Cherbourg    no   True
27     man       True    C  Southampton    no  False
28   woman      False  NaN   Queenstown   yes   True
29     man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
..     ...        ...  ...          ...   ...    ...
861    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no  False
862  woman      False    D  Southampton   yes   True
863  woman      False  NaN  Southampton    no  False
864    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
865  woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes   True
866  woman      False  NaN    Cherbourg   yes  False
867    man       True    A  Southampton    no   True
868    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
869  child      False  NaN  Southampton   yes  False
870    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
871  woman      False    D  Southampton   yes  False
872    man       True    B  Southampton    no   True
873    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
874  woman      False  NaN    Cherbourg   yes  False
875  child      False  NaN    Cherbourg   yes   True
876    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
877    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
878    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
879  woman      False    C    Cherbourg   yes  False
880  woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes  False
881    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
882  woman      False  NaN  Southampton    no   True
883    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
884    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
885  woman      False  NaN   Queenstown    no  False
886    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
887  woman      False    B  Southampton   yes   True
888  woman      False  NaN  Southampton    no  False
889    man       True    C    Cherbourg   yes   True
890    man       True  NaN   Queenstown    no   True

[891 rows x 15 columns]

In [29]: pandas.set_option('display.width', None)

In [30]: seaborn.load_dataset("titanic")
Out[30]:
     survived  pclass     sex  age  sibsp  parch      fare embarked   class    who adult_male deck  embark_town alive  alone
0           0       3    male   22      1      0    7.2500        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no  False
1           1       1  female   38      1      0   71.2833        C   First  woman      False    C    Cherbourg   yes  False
2           1       3  female   26      0      0    7.9250        S   Third  woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes   True
3           1       1  female   35      1      0   53.1000        S   First  woman      False    C  Southampton   yes  False
4           0       3    male   35      0      0    8.0500        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
5           0       3    male  NaN      0      0    8.4583        Q   Third    man       True  NaN   Queenstown    no   True
6           0       1    male   54      0      0   51.8625        S   First    man       True    E  Southampton    no   True
7           0       3    male    2      3      1   21.0750        S   Third  child      False  NaN  Southampton    no  False
8           1       3  female   27      0      2   11.1333        S   Third  woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes  False
9           1       2  female   14      1      0   30.0708        C  Second  child      False  NaN    Cherbourg   yes  False
10          1       3  female    4      1      1   16.7000        S   Third  child      False    G  Southampton   yes  False
11          1       1  female   58      0      0   26.5500        S   First  woman      False    C  Southampton   yes   True
12          0       3    male   20      0      0    8.0500        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
13          0       3    male   39      1      5   31.2750        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no  False
14          0       3  female   14      0      0    7.8542        S   Third  child      False  NaN  Southampton    no   True
15          1       2  female   55      0      0   16.0000        S  Second  woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes   True
16          0       3    male    2      4      1   29.1250        Q   Third  child      False  NaN   Queenstown    no  False
17          1       2    male  NaN      0      0   13.0000        S  Second    man       True  NaN  Southampton   yes   True
18          0       3  female   31      1      0   18.0000        S   Third  woman      False  NaN  Southampton    no  False
19          1       3  female  NaN      0      0    7.2250        C   Third  woman      False  NaN    Cherbourg   yes   True
20          0       2    male   35      0      0   26.0000        S  Second    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
21          1       2    male   34      0      0   13.0000        S  Second    man       True    D  Southampton   yes   True
22          1       3  female   15      0      0    8.0292        Q   Third  child      False  NaN   Queenstown   yes   True
23          1       1    male   28      0      0   35.5000        S   First    man       True    A  Southampton   yes   True
24          0       3  female    8      3      1   21.0750        S   Third  child      False  NaN  Southampton    no  False
25          1       3  female   38      1      5   31.3875        S   Third  woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes  False
26          0       3    male  NaN      0      0    7.2250        C   Third    man       True  NaN    Cherbourg    no   True
27          0       1    male   19      3      2  263.0000        S   First    man       True    C  Southampton    no  False
28          1       3  female  NaN      0      0    7.8792        Q   Third  woman      False  NaN   Queenstown   yes   True
29          0       3    male  NaN      0      0    7.8958        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
..        ...     ...     ...  ...    ...    ...       ...      ...     ...    ...        ...  ...          ...   ...    ...
861         0       2    male   21      1      0   11.5000        S  Second    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no  False
862         1       1  female   48      0      0   25.9292        S   First  woman      False    D  Southampton   yes   True
863         0       3  female  NaN      8      2   69.5500        S   Third  woman      False  NaN  Southampton    no  False
864         0       2    male   24      0      0   13.0000        S  Second    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
865         1       2  female   42      0      0   13.0000        S  Second  woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes   True
866         1       2  female   27      1      0   13.8583        C  Second  woman      False  NaN    Cherbourg   yes  False
867         0       1    male   31      0      0   50.4958        S   First    man       True    A  Southampton    no   True
868         0       3    male  NaN      0      0    9.5000        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
869         1       3    male    4      1      1   11.1333        S   Third  child      False  NaN  Southampton   yes  False
870         0       3    male   26      0      0    7.8958        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
871         1       1  female   47      1      1   52.5542        S   First  woman      False    D  Southampton   yes  False
872         0       1    male   33      0      0    5.0000        S   First    man       True    B  Southampton    no   True
873         0       3    male   47      0      0    9.0000        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
874         1       2  female   28      1      0   24.0000        C  Second  woman      False  NaN    Cherbourg   yes  False
875         1       3  female   15      0      0    7.2250        C   Third  child      False  NaN    Cherbourg   yes   True
876         0       3    male   20      0      0    9.8458        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
877         0       3    male   19      0      0    7.8958        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
878         0       3    male  NaN      0      0    7.8958        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
879         1       1  female   56      0      1   83.1583        C   First  woman      False    C    Cherbourg   yes  False
880         1       2  female   25      0      1   26.0000        S  Second  woman      False  NaN  Southampton   yes  False
881         0       3    male   33      0      0    7.8958        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
882         0       3  female   22      0      0   10.5167        S   Third  woman      False  NaN  Southampton    no   True
883         0       2    male   28      0      0   10.5000        S  Second    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
884         0       3    male   25      0      0    7.0500        S   Third    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
885         0       3  female   39      0      5   29.1250        Q   Third  woman      False  NaN   Queenstown    no  False
886         0       2    male   27      0      0   13.0000        S  Second    man       True  NaN  Southampton    no   True
887         1       1  female   19      0      0   30.0000        S   First  woman      False    B  Southampton   yes   True
888         0       3  female  NaN      1      2   23.4500        S   Third  woman      False  NaN  Southampton    no  False
889         1       1    male   26      0      0   30.0000        C   First    man       True    C    Cherbourg   yes   True
890         0       3    male   32      0      0    7.7500        Q   Third    man       True  NaN   Queenstown    no   True

[891 rows x 15 columns]

[jreback]

not sure this proves anything, their are a myriad of options that affect this kind of printing, e.g. display.max_columns being one of them. you would have to step thru the code and see exactly the case you are talking about.

Use a generically construction frame and context managers to diagnose, e.g.:

In [42]: df = DataFrame(np.random.randn(5,30))
In [46]: with pd.option_context('display.width',50,'display.max_columns',999):
    print(df)

[bear24rw]

The problem is the get_console_size() function of format.py

I see now that it is by design to always use display.width unless it is None. I don't agree with this default. When I'm in the terminal I always want it to use all the available width. It seems the only reason it doesn't do that right now is because the ipython frontend doesn't report a real width. Terminals should default to using the actual width of the terminal and the ipython frontend should default to some fixed value.

[jorisvandenbossche]

@jreback Reading the documentation:

Width of the display in characters. In case python/IPython is running in a terminal this can be set to None and pandas will correctly auto-detect the width. Note that the IPython notebook, IPython qtconsole, or IDLE do not run in a terminal and hence it is not possible to correctly detect the width.

it seems to me this is on purpose not None, and if you want autodetection of the width, you have to manually set it to None

[jreback]

there is quite a lot of discussion on this in the past. so would like someone to go thru issues and see what the arguments are for/against this.

[drewm1980]

@jreback, If ipython notebook qtconsole, IDLE, et al really cannot correctly detect their width, that is a problem with those implementations. Breaking the default configuration for shell users does not fix the underlying issue.

$ git blame ./core/config_init.py
a4a71f8 (Viktor Kerkez 3 years ago 323) cf.register_option('width', 80, pc_width_doc,

$ git blame ./core/config.py | grep width
8721059 (y-p 3 years, 11 months ago 655) def pp_options_list(keys, width=80, _print=False)

Has this really been broken for 3 years?

[jreback]

@drewm1980 not really sure this is broken, rather its a user preference. I simply set the width to what I want then it just works. If you don't have a terminal width returned then it defaults to 80. The issue is that you want the default to change, but it already works that way if the terminal is indeed returned correctly.