# Can I reference a range within a dataframe using named columns?
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-i-reference-a-range-within-a-dataframe-using-named-columns/63943
**Category:** New to Julia
**Tags:** dataframes
**Created:** [July 2, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-i-reference-a-range-within-a-dataframe-using-named-columns/63943 "2021-07-02T14:41:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Mitch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Mitch)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-i-reference-a-range-within-a-dataframe-using-named-columns/63943/1 "2021-07-02T14:41:44Z")
Hi,
I have a DataFrame (df) whose columns are titled col1, col2, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
I need to create a vector referencing the first row (1) of columns 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
The following code works, but isn’t dynamic.
```julia
vector = Array(df[1, 3:8])
```
I changed the titles to yr0, yr2 etc., and changed the code to the below, but get "MethodError: no method matching -(::String, ::String)
```julia
vector = Array(df[1, "yr0":"yr1"])
```
Is there a way to pull in a vector/array that’s dynamic and based on the title of the column vs. index reference? I’m new to Julia and coding, but thank you for your help!
---
### Author:  [@pdeffebach](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/pdeffebach)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2021, 2:54pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-i-reference-a-range-within-a-dataframe-using-named-columns/63943/2 "2021-07-02T14:54:25Z")
Check out `? Between`.
```julia
julia> using DataFrames
julia> df = DataFrame(a = 1, b1 = 2, b2 = 3, b4 = 5);
julia> df[:, Cols(:a, Between(:b2, :b4))]
1×3 DataFrame
Row │ a b2 b4
│ Int64 Int64 Int64
─────┼─────────────────────
1 │ 1 3 5
```
---
### Author:  [@sijo](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/sijo)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-i-reference-a-range-within-a-dataframe-using-named-columns/63943/3 "2021-07-02T14:55:53Z")
Here are some ways:
```julia
julia> df = DataFrame(rand(1:5, 3, 8), ["col1", "col2", string.(0:5)...])
3×8 DataFrame
Row │ col1 col2 0 1 2 3 4 5
│ Int64 Int64 Int64 Int64 Int64 Int64 Int64 Int64
─────┼────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1 │ 1 2 3 4 1 5 3 2
2 │ 5 1 2 5 3 4 1 4
3 │ 3 4 1 4 2 4 1 1
# Brute force
df[1, ["0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5"]]
# Same but generating the strings dynamically
df[1, string.(0:5)]
# Using a regular expression matching "0", ..., "5"
df[1, r"^[0-5]$"]
# Specifying the first and last column to extract
df[1, Between("0", "5")]
```
---
### Author:  [@Mitch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Mitch)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-i-reference-a-range-within-a-dataframe-using-named-columns/63943/4 "2021-07-02T15:01:05Z")
Thank you very much!
---
### Author:  [@Mitch](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Mitch)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-i-reference-a-range-within-a-dataframe-using-named-columns/63943/5 "2021-07-02T15:01:34Z")
Cheers, that’s super helpful!