Convert large csv to hdf5
Question:
I have a 100M line csv file (actually many separate csv files) totaling 84GB. I need to convert it to a HDF5 file with a single float dataset. I used h5py in testing without any problems, but now I can’t do the final dataset without running out of memory.
How can I write to HDF5 without having to store the whole dataset in memory? I’m expecting actual code here, because it should be quite simple.
I was just looking into pytables, but it doesn’t look like the array class (which corresponds to a HDF5 dataset) can be written to iteratively. Similarly, pandas has read_csv and to_hdf methods in its io_tools, but I can’t load the whole dataset at one time so that won’t work. Perhaps you can help me solve the problem correctly with other tools in pytables or pandas.
Answers:
Use append=True in the call to to_hdf:
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
filename = '/tmp/test.h5'
df = pd.DataFrame(np.arange(10).reshape((5,2)), columns=['A', 'B'])
print(df)
# A B
# 0 0 1
# 1 2 3
# 2 4 5
# 3 6 7
# 4 8 9
# Save to HDF5
df.to_hdf(filename, 'data', mode='w', format='table')
del df # allow df to be garbage collected
# Append more data
df2 = pd.DataFrame(np.arange(10).reshape((5,2))*10, columns=['A', 'B'])
df2.to_hdf(filename, 'data', append=True)
print(pd.read_hdf(filename, 'data'))
yields
A B
0 0 1
1 2 3
2 4 5
3 6 7
4 8 9
0 0 10
1 20 30
2 40 50
3 60 70
4 80 90
Note that you need to use format='table' in the first call to df.to_hdf to make the table appendable. Otherwise, the format is 'fixed' by default, which is faster for reading and writing, but creates a table which can not be appended to.
Thus, you can process each CSV one at a time, use append=True to build the hdf5 file. Then overwrite the DataFrame or use del df to allow the old DataFrame to be garbage collected.
Alternatively, instead of calling df.to_hdf, you could append to a HDFStore:
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
filename = '/tmp/test.h5'
store = pd.HDFStore(filename)
for i in range(2):
df = pd.DataFrame(np.arange(10).reshape((5,2)) * 10**i, columns=['A', 'B'])
store.append('data', df)
store.close()
store = pd.HDFStore(filename)
data = store['data']
print(data)
store.close()
yields
A B
0 0 1
1 2 3
2 4 5
3 6 7
4 8 9
0 0 10
1 20 30
2 40 50
3 60 70
4 80 90
This should be possible with PyTables. You’ll need to use the EArray class though.
As an example, the following is a script I wrote to import chunked training data stored as .npy files into a single .h5 file.
import numpy
import tables
import os
training_data = tables.open_file('nn_training.h5', mode='w')
a = tables.Float64Atom()
bl_filter = tables.Filters(5, 'blosc') # fast compressor at a moderate setting
training_input = training_data.create_earray(training_data.root, 'X', a,
(0, 1323), 'Training Input',
bl_filter, 4000000)
training_output = training_data.create_earray(training_data.root, 'Y', a,
(0, 27), 'Training Output',
bl_filter, 4000000)
for filename in os.listdir('input'):
print "loading {}...".format(filename)
a = numpy.load(os.path.join('input', filename))
print "writing to h5"
training_input.append(a)
for filename in os.listdir('output'):
print "loading {}...".format(filename)
training_output.append(numpy.load(os.path.join('output', filename)))
Take a look at the docs for detailed instructions, but very briefly, the create_earray function takes 1) a data root or parent node; 2) an array name; 3) a datatype atom; 4) a shape with a 0 in the dimension you want to expand; 5) a verbose descriptor; 6) a compression filter; and 7) an expected number of rows along the expandable dimension. Only the first two are required, but you’ll probably use all seven in practice. The function accepts a few other optional arguments as well; again, see the docs for details.
Once the array is created, you can use its append method in the expected way.
If you have a very large single CSV file, you may want to stream the conversion to hdf, e.g.:
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
from IPython.display import clear_output
CHUNK_SIZE = 5000000
filename = 'data.csv'
dtypes = {'latitude': float, 'longitude': float}
iter_csv = pd.read_csv(
filename, iterator=True,
dtype=dtypes, encoding='utf-8', chunksize=CHUNK_SIZE)
cnt = 0
for ix, chunk in enumerate(iter_csv):
chunk.to_hdf(
"data.hdf", 'data', format='table', append=True)
cnt += CHUNK_SIZE
clear_output(wait=True)
print(f"Processed {cnt:,.0f} coordinates..")
Tested with a 64GB CSV file and 450 Million coordinates (about 10 Minutes conversion).
I have a 100M line csv file (actually many separate csv files) totaling 84GB. I need to convert it to a HDF5 file with a single float dataset. I used h5py in testing without any problems, but now I can’t do the final dataset without running out of memory.
How can I write to HDF5 without having to store the whole dataset in memory? I’m expecting actual code here, because it should be quite simple.
I was just looking into pytables, but it doesn’t look like the array class (which corresponds to a HDF5 dataset) can be written to iteratively. Similarly, pandas has read_csv and to_hdf methods in its io_tools, but I can’t load the whole dataset at one time so that won’t work. Perhaps you can help me solve the problem correctly with other tools in pytables or pandas.
Use append=True in the call to to_hdf:
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
filename = '/tmp/test.h5'
df = pd.DataFrame(np.arange(10).reshape((5,2)), columns=['A', 'B'])
print(df)
# A B
# 0 0 1
# 1 2 3
# 2 4 5
# 3 6 7
# 4 8 9
# Save to HDF5
df.to_hdf(filename, 'data', mode='w', format='table')
del df # allow df to be garbage collected
# Append more data
df2 = pd.DataFrame(np.arange(10).reshape((5,2))*10, columns=['A', 'B'])
df2.to_hdf(filename, 'data', append=True)
print(pd.read_hdf(filename, 'data'))
yields
A B
0 0 1
1 2 3
2 4 5
3 6 7
4 8 9
0 0 10
1 20 30
2 40 50
3 60 70
4 80 90
Note that you need to use format='table' in the first call to df.to_hdf to make the table appendable. Otherwise, the format is 'fixed' by default, which is faster for reading and writing, but creates a table which can not be appended to.
Thus, you can process each CSV one at a time, use append=True to build the hdf5 file. Then overwrite the DataFrame or use del df to allow the old DataFrame to be garbage collected.
Alternatively, instead of calling df.to_hdf, you could append to a HDFStore:
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
filename = '/tmp/test.h5'
store = pd.HDFStore(filename)
for i in range(2):
df = pd.DataFrame(np.arange(10).reshape((5,2)) * 10**i, columns=['A', 'B'])
store.append('data', df)
store.close()
store = pd.HDFStore(filename)
data = store['data']
print(data)
store.close()
yields
A B
0 0 1
1 2 3
2 4 5
3 6 7
4 8 9
0 0 10
1 20 30
2 40 50
3 60 70
4 80 90
This should be possible with PyTables. You’ll need to use the EArray class though.
As an example, the following is a script I wrote to import chunked training data stored as .npy files into a single .h5 file.
import numpy
import tables
import os
training_data = tables.open_file('nn_training.h5', mode='w')
a = tables.Float64Atom()
bl_filter = tables.Filters(5, 'blosc') # fast compressor at a moderate setting
training_input = training_data.create_earray(training_data.root, 'X', a,
(0, 1323), 'Training Input',
bl_filter, 4000000)
training_output = training_data.create_earray(training_data.root, 'Y', a,
(0, 27), 'Training Output',
bl_filter, 4000000)
for filename in os.listdir('input'):
print "loading {}...".format(filename)
a = numpy.load(os.path.join('input', filename))
print "writing to h5"
training_input.append(a)
for filename in os.listdir('output'):
print "loading {}...".format(filename)
training_output.append(numpy.load(os.path.join('output', filename)))
Take a look at the docs for detailed instructions, but very briefly, the create_earray function takes 1) a data root or parent node; 2) an array name; 3) a datatype atom; 4) a shape with a 0 in the dimension you want to expand; 5) a verbose descriptor; 6) a compression filter; and 7) an expected number of rows along the expandable dimension. Only the first two are required, but you’ll probably use all seven in practice. The function accepts a few other optional arguments as well; again, see the docs for details.
Once the array is created, you can use its append method in the expected way.
If you have a very large single CSV file, you may want to stream the conversion to hdf, e.g.:
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
from IPython.display import clear_output
CHUNK_SIZE = 5000000
filename = 'data.csv'
dtypes = {'latitude': float, 'longitude': float}
iter_csv = pd.read_csv(
filename, iterator=True,
dtype=dtypes, encoding='utf-8', chunksize=CHUNK_SIZE)
cnt = 0
for ix, chunk in enumerate(iter_csv):
chunk.to_hdf(
"data.hdf", 'data', format='table', append=True)
cnt += CHUNK_SIZE
clear_output(wait=True)
print(f"Processed {cnt:,.0f} coordinates..")
Tested with a 64GB CSV file and 450 Million coordinates (about 10 Minutes conversion).