# DataFrame column names with symbols
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dataframe-column-names-with-symbols/62985
**Category:** General Usage
**Tags:** dataframes
**Created:** [June 16, 2021, 2:16am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dataframe-column-names-with-symbols/62985 "2021-06-16T02:16:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ismam](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Ismam)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 2:16am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dataframe-column-names-with-symbols/62985/1 "2021-06-16T02:16:27Z")
I’m using DataFramesMeta and would like to calculate a new column called “p\*”.
I’ve tried:
@transform(df, p\* = … )
@transform(df, “p\*” = … )
No luck.
I can make do with:
Disc[!,“p\*”] .= …
But, not ideal.
Thanks!
---
### Author:  [@nilshg](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/nilshg)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 5:14am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dataframe-column-names-with-symbols/62985/2 "2021-06-16T05:14:06Z")
I don’t think this has anything to do with Symbols, you’re just not using the `transform` syntax correctly, it should be `source => transformation => destination`:
```julia
julia> df = DataFrame(a = 1:3)
3×1 DataFrame
Row │ a
│ Int64
─────┼───────
1 │ 1
2 │ 2
3 │ 3
julia> transform!(df, :a => cumsum => "p*")
3×2 DataFrame
Row │ a p*
│ Int64 Int64
─────┼──────────────
1 │ 1 1
2 │ 2 3
3 │ 3 6
```
---
### Author:  [@xiaodai](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/xiaodai)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 5:33am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dataframe-column-names-with-symbols/62985/3 "2021-06-16T05:33:55Z")
> [@nilshg](#):
>
> you’re just not using the `transform` syntax correctly,
@Ismam is using DataFramesMeta.jl
---
### Author:  [@xiaodai](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/xiaodai)
#### Post date: [June 16, 2021, 5:38am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dataframe-column-names-with-symbols/62985/4 "2021-06-16T05:38:15Z")
> [@Ismam](#):
>
> @transform(df, p\* = … )
> @transform(df, “p\*” = … )
I think DataFramesMeta.jl doesn’t support weird characters in the name I think.
But with DFMacros.jl you can do
`@transform(df, Symbol("p*" = … )`
> [@Ismam](#):
>
> I’ve tried:
> @transform(df, p\* = … )
> @transform(df, “p\*” = … )
>
> No luck.
>
> I can make do with:
> Disc[!,“p\*”] .= …
You can write ur code in ``` for better formatting
```julia
@transform(df, p* = … )
@transform(df, “p*” = … )
```
---
### Author:  [@Ismam](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Ismam)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2021, 7:05am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dataframe-column-names-with-symbols/62985/5 "2021-06-21T07:05:24Z")
Thanks everyone. Lots of useful suggestions here!
---
### Author:  [@pdeffebach](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/pdeffebach)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2021, 11:33am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dataframe-column-names-with-symbols/62985/6 "2021-06-21T11:33:16Z")
DataFramesMeta absolutely supports creating column names with weird symbols. See the documentation [Working with column names programmatically with `cols`](https://juliadata.github.io/DataFramesMeta.jl/stable/#Working-with-column-names-programmatically-with-cols).
You do
```julia
@transform(df, cols("p*") = ...)
```
---
### Author:  [@Ismam](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Ismam)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2021, 12:56am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dataframe-column-names-with-symbols/62985/7 "2021-07-13T00:56:19Z")
Just curious,
how do you paste tables as text so nicely like that?
My tables look like this in Jupyter
> 5×2 DataFrame
> Row │ x y
> │ Int64 Int64?
> ─────────────────────
> 1 │ 1 missing
> 2 │ 2 4
> 3 │ 3 missing
> 4 │ 4 2
> 5 │ 5 1
---
### Author:  [@nilshg](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/nilshg)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2021, 5:47am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dataframe-column-names-with-symbols/62985/8 "2021-07-13T05:47:26Z")
I copy them from the REPL, which has plain text output. Jupyter is HTML output so some formatting info gets lost when you copy the text displayed in your browser.