Error when updating dataframe with empty filter · Issue #9596 · pandas-dev/pandas (original) (raw)

df = pd.DataFrame({'a': ['1', '2', '3'], 'b': ['11', '22', '33'], 'c': ['111', '222', '333']}) df.loc[df.b.isnull(), 'a'] = df.b

The filtering condition is always false (b is never null) and the above code produces this error:
Array is not broadcastable to correct shape.

If, however, I change the type for column 'c' - which is not even mentioned in the assignment expression (!) - from str to int,

df = pd.DataFrame({'a': ['1', '2', '3'], 'b': ['11', '22', '33'], 'c': [111, 222, 333]}) # Type changed to int df.loc[df.b.isnull(), 'a'] = df.b

No errors are produced.

Would be nice to have consistent behaviour and not have any errors - could not find anything in the documentation saying that applying .loc on empty filter is considered illegal?