Serialize/unserialize a class with a pandas data structure attribute using msgpack.

msgpack_pandas_attrib.py

#!/usr/bin/env python                                                                  

"""   
Serialize/unserialize a class with a pandas data structure attribute using msgpack.
"""

import msgpack

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import pandas.io.packers

class Foo(object):
    def __init__(self, data=None):
        self.df = pandas.DataFrame(data)

def encode(obj):
    if isinstance(obj, Foo):
        print 'Foo'
        return {'typ': 'Foo',
                'data': obj.df}
    else:
        print 'Pandas'
        return pandas.io.packers.encode(obj)

def decode(obj):
    typ = obj.get('typ')
    if typ == 'Foo':
        f = Foo()
        f.df = obj['data']
        return f
    else:
        return pandas.io.packers.decode(obj)

f = Foo(pd.DataFrame(np.random.rand(100)))

# Serialization/deserialization doesn't work without setting
# the encoding:
s = msgpack.packb(f, default=encode, encoding='latin1')
f_new = msgpack.unpackb(s, object_hook=decode, encoding='latin1')