Bug#883050: python-pandas: Also auto-detect datetime data types by default

[Kingsley G. Morse Jr.]

Package: python-pandas
Version: 0.20.3-10
Severity: wishlist

Dear Maintainer,

Thank you very much for maintaining Debian's
pandas package.

I say with little fear of contradiction, its very
useful!

The main reason I'm writing is to humbly suggest
improving read_csv() to also automatically detect
datetime data types by default.

read_csv() already automatically detects numeric
data types by default.

And, if its "parse_dates" option is specified with
one or more column indices, it also detects
datetimes.

But, but, but... it seems to me that it would be
convenient and reasonable for read_csv() to
automatically detect BOTH numeric AND datetime
data types by default.

Keep it simple!

Worried about speed?

Assuming numeric data types can be detected
faster, check for them first.

Then datetimes.

Still worried about speed?

Have an option to turn off auto-detection of
datetime data.

Thanks,
Kingsley

-- System Information:
Debian Release: stretch/sid
  APT prefers unstable-debug
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable-debug'), (500, 'unstable')
Architecture: i386 (i686)

Kernel: Linux 4.4.0-1-686-pae (SMP w/2 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

Versions of packages python-pandas depends on:
ii  python                2.7.13-1
ii  python-dateutil       2.2-2
ii  python-numpy          1:1.13.1-1
ii  python-pandas-lib     0.20.3-10
ii  python-pkg-resources  18.4-2
ii  python-six            1.10.0-1
ii  python-tz             2012c+dfsg-0.1
pn  python:any            <none>

Versions of packages python-pandas recommends:
ii  python-bs4          4.4.1-1
ii  python-html5lib     0.999999999-1
ii  python-lxml         4.1.0-1
ii  python-matplotlib   2.0.0-3
ii  python-numexpr      2.6.2-2
ii  python-openpyxl     2.3.0-3
ii  python-scipy        0.19.1-1
ii  python-statsmodels  0.8.0-1
pn  python-tables       <none>
ii  python-xlrd         0.9.4-1
ii  python-xlwt         0.7.5+debian1-1

Versions of packages python-pandas suggests:
pn  python-pandas-doc  <none>

-- no debconf information