# Julia 1.3 selection of datafarme's column with :Col is deprecated

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-1-3-selection-of-datafarmes-column-with-col-is-deprecated/32430>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** question\
**Created:** [December 18, 2019, 9:03am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-1-3-selection-of-datafarmes-column-with-col-is-deprecated/32430 "2019-12-18T09:03:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Luigi\_Marongiu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/luigi_marongiu/32/7909_2.png) [@Luigi\_Marongiu](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Luigi_Marongiu)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 9:03am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-1-3-selection-of-datafarmes-column-with-col-is-deprecated/32430/1 "2019-12-18T09:03:09Z")

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Hello,  
I recently upgraded to Julia 1.3. Before I was using df[:Column] to select a dataframe’s column, but now I get the error:  
`Julia > Warning: `getindex(df::DataFrame, col\_ind::ColumnIndex)`is deprecated, use`df[!, col\_ind]` instead.`

What is the current syntax for selecting a dataframe’s column on Julia 1.3? Why is the syntax always changing? (the `:Column` way was easy to understand and similar to R’s $…)  
Thank you

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**Author:** ![Mattriks](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mattriks/32/351_2.png) [@Mattriks](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Mattriks)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 9:10am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-1-3-selection-of-datafarmes-column-with-col-is-deprecated/32430/2 "2019-12-18T09:10:40Z")

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> [@Release announcements for DataFrames.jl](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/release-announcements-for-dataframes-jl/18258/38):
>
> DataFrames.jl v0.19.0 has just been released. It is a major release towards DataFrames.jl 1.0 (we cannot get there yet as we have to go through deprecation cycle). The number of changes is significant and includes: API changes: allow Regex indexing of columns allow Not from [InvertedIndices.jl](https://github.com/mbauman/InvertedIndices.jl) indexing of rows and columns add ! indexing of rows of AbstractDataFrame deprecate indexing with column or columns only (like df[:a] or df[1:2] ) define target rules for getindex , getprope…

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**Author:** ![Luigi\_Marongiu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/luigi_marongiu/32/7909_2.png) [@Luigi\_Marongiu](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Luigi_Marongiu)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 9:25am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-1-3-selection-of-datafarmes-column-with-col-is-deprecated/32430/3 "2019-12-18T09:25:24Z")

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Ok, but where can I find what syntax to use? Thanks

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**Author:** ![Mattriks](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mattriks/32/351_2.png) [@Mattriks](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Mattriks)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 9:36am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-1-3-selection-of-datafarmes-column-with-col-is-deprecated/32430/4 "2019-12-18T09:36:56Z")

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See DataFrames docs, this whole page is on indexing:  
[http://juliadata.github.io/DataFrames.jl/stable/lib/indexing/#Indexing-1](http://juliadata.github.io/DataFrames.jl/stable/lib/indexing/#Indexing-1)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Luigi\_Marongiu](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/luigi_marongiu/32/7909_2.png) [@Luigi\_Marongiu](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Luigi_Marongiu)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 9:38am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-1-3-selection-of-datafarmes-column-with-col-is-deprecated/32430/5 "2019-12-18T09:38:02Z")

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Thank you

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**Author:** ![bkamins](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/bkamins/32/208538_2.png) [@bkamins](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/bkamins)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2019, 12:58pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/julia-1-3-selection-of-datafarmes-column-with-col-is-deprecated/32430/6 "2019-12-18T12:58:39Z")

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And a short summary is, you can use the following syntax to get a column:

- without copying it: `df.col` or `df[!, :col]` (the second form with `!` in single column selection is not really needed as you can always use `df.col` which is what you wanted I guess as you referred to `$` in R, it is needed if you want to select multiple columns or if you want to set a value of the column)
- with copying it: `df[:, :col]`

Also in 1.3 if variable name is not a valid identifier then `df.col` should be written as `df.var"1 2 3"` if the variable name is `Symbol("1 2 3")` (which is not a valid identifier).