Schema

class polars.Schema(
    schema: Mapping[str,
    SchemaInitDataType] | Iterable[tuple[str,
    SchemaInitDataType] | ArrowSchemaExportable] | ArrowSchemaExportable | None = None,
    *,
    check_dtypes: bool = True,
)

Ordered mapping of column names to their data type.

Parameters:

schema

The schema definition given by column names and their associated Polars data type. Accepts a mapping, or an iterable of tuples, or any object implementing the __arrow_c_schema__ PyCapsule interface (e.g. pyarrow schemas).

Examples

Define a schema by passing instantiated data types.

>>> schema = pl.Schema(
...     {
...         "foo": pl.String(),
...         "bar": pl.Duration("us"),
...         "baz": pl.Array(pl.Int8, 4),
...     }
... )
>>> schema
Schema({'foo': String, 'bar': Duration(time_unit='us'), 'baz': Array(Int8, shape=(4,))})

Access the data type associated with a specific column name.

>>> schema["baz"]
Array(Int8, shape=(4,))

Access various schema properties using the names, dtypes, and len methods.

>>> schema.names()
['foo', 'bar', 'baz']
>>> schema.dtypes()
[String, Duration(time_unit='us'), Array(Int8, shape=(4,))]
>>> schema.len()
3

Import a pyarrow schema.

>>> import pyarrow as pa
>>> pl.Schema(pa.schema([pa.field("x", pa.int32())]))
Schema({'x': Int32})

Export a schema to pyarrow.

>>> pa.schema(pl.Schema({"x": pl.Int32}))
x: int32

Methods:

contains_dtype	Check if the schema contains the given data type.
dtypes	Get the data types of the schema.
len	Get the number of schema entries.
names	Get the column names of the schema.
to_arrow	Convert the schema to a pyarrow schema.
to_frame	Create an empty DataFrame (or LazyFrame) from this Schema.
to_python	Return a dictionary of column names and Python types.

contains_dtype(
    dtype: DataType,
    *,
    recursive: bool,
) → bool

Check if the schema contains the given data type.

Parameters:

dtype

The data type to search for.

recursive

If False, only check top-level column dtypes. If True, also search within nested types (List, Array, Struct).

Examples

>>> s = pl.Schema({"x": pl.Int64(), "y": pl.List(pl.Float64)})
>>> s.contains_dtype(pl.Int64, recursive=False)
True
>>> s.contains_dtype(pl.Float64, recursive=False)
False
>>> s.contains_dtype(pl.Float64, recursive=True)
True

dtypes() → list[DataType]

Get the data types of the schema.

Examples

>>> s = pl.Schema({"x": pl.UInt8(), "y": pl.List(pl.UInt8)})
>>> s.dtypes()
[UInt8, List(UInt8)]

len() → int

Get the number of schema entries.

Examples

>>> s = pl.Schema({"x": pl.Int32(), "y": pl.List(pl.String)})
>>> s.len()
2
>>> len(s)
2

names() → list[str]

Get the column names of the schema.

Examples

>>> s = pl.Schema({"x": pl.Float64(), "y": pl.Datetime(time_zone="UTC")})
>>> s.names()
['x', 'y']

to_arrow(
    *,
    compat_level: CompatLevel | None = None,
) → Schema

Convert the schema to a pyarrow schema.

Parameters:

compat_level

Use a specific compatibility level when exporting Polars’ internal data types.

Examples

>>> pl.Schema({"x": pl.String}).to_arrow()
x: string_view

to_frame(
    *,
    eager: bool = True,
) → DataFrame | LazyFrame

Create an empty DataFrame (or LazyFrame) from this Schema.

Parameters:

eager

If True, create a DataFrame; otherwise, create a LazyFrame.

Examples

>>> s = pl.Schema({"x": pl.Int32(), "y": pl.String()})
>>> s.to_frame()
shape: (0, 2)
┌─────┬─────┐
│ x   ┆ y   │
│ --- ┆ --- │
│ i32 ┆ str │
╞═════╪═════╡
└─────┴─────┘
>>> s.to_frame(eager=False)  
<LazyFrame at 0x11BC0AD80>

to_python() → dict[str, type]

Return a dictionary of column names and Python types.

Examples

>>> s = pl.Schema(
...     {
...         "x": pl.Int8(),
...         "y": pl.String(),
...         "z": pl.Duration("us"),
...     }
... )
>>> s.to_python()
{'x': <class 'int'>, 'y':  <class 'str'>, 'z': <class 'datetime.timedelta'>}