# Single value in DataFrame-structure
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/single-value-in-dataframe-structure/14904
**Category:** Data
**Created:** [September 13, 2018, 12:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/single-value-in-dataframe-structure/14904 "2018-09-13T12:29:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sebastianskejoe](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/sebastianskejoe)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2018, 12:29pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/single-value-in-dataframe-structure/14904/1 "2018-09-13T12:29:30Z")
I use a variable `v` to index one or more columns of a DataFrame. Sometimes `v` is a Symbol and sometimes `v` is an array of symbols. Is there a single syntax to always return the value(s) in a DataFrame-structure, even when `v` is a Symbol? So I essentially want `df[row, [v]]` when `v` is a Symbol and `df[row,v]` when `v` is an array of Symbols.
```julia
julia> df = DataFrame(x=1, y=2)
1×2 DataFrame
│ Row │ x │ y │
├─────┼───┼───┤
│ 1 │ 1 │ 2 │
julia> v = :x
:x
julia> df[1,v]
1
julia> df[1,[v]]
1×1 DataFrame
│ Row │ x │
├─────┼───┤
│ 1 │ 1 │
julia> v = [:x, :y]
2-element Array{Symbol,1}:
:x
:y
julia> df[1,v]
1×2 DataFrame
│ Row │ x │ y │
├─────┼───┼───┤
│ 1 │ 1 │ 2 │
julia> df[1,[v]]
ERROR: ArgumentError: idx[1] has type Array{Symbol,1}; DataFrame only supports indexing columns with integers, symbols or boolean vectors
```
---
### Author:  [@nalimilan](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/nalimilan)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2018, 12:45pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/single-value-in-dataframe-structure/14904/2 "2018-09-13T12:45:00Z")
Maybe use `vcat` for that:
```julia
julia> vcat(:y)
1-element Array{Symbol,1}:
:y
julia> vcat([:y])
1-element Array{Symbol,1}:
:y
```
---
### Author:  [@sebastianskejoe](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/sebastianskejoe)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2018, 12:47pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/single-value-in-dataframe-structure/14904/3 "2018-09-13T12:47:16Z")
That works - thanks!