Example of a function to compare two DataFrames independent of row/column ordering and with handling of null values.

assert_frames_equal.ipynb

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   "cells": [
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     "cell_type": "code",
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     "input": [
      "import numpy as np\n",
      "import numpy.testing as npt\n",
      "import pandas as pd"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [],
     "prompt_number": 9
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     "input": [
      "def assert_frames_equal(actual, expected, use_close=False):\n",
      "    \"\"\"\n",
      "    Compare DataFrame items by index and column and\n",
      "    raise AssertionError if any item is not equal.\n",
      "\n",
      "    Ordering is unimportant, items are compared only by label.\n",
      "    NaN and infinite values are supported.\n",
      "    \n",
      "    Parameters\n",
      "    ----------\n",
      "    actual : pandas.DataFrame\n",
      "    expected : pandas.DataFrame\n",
      "    use_close : bool, optional\n",
      "        If True, use numpy.testing.assert_allclose instead of\n",
      "        numpy.testing.assert_equal.\n",
      "\n",
      "    \"\"\"\n",
      "    if use_close:\n",
      "        comp = npt.assert_allclose\n",
      "    else:\n",
      "        comp = npt.assert_equal\n",
      "\n",
      "    assert (isinstance(actual, pd.DataFrame) and\n",
      "            isinstance(expected, pd.DataFrame)), \\\n",
      "        'Inputs must both be pandas DataFrames.'\n",
      "\n",
      "    for i, exp_row in expected.iterrows():\n",
      "        assert i in actual.index, 'Expected row {!r} not found.'.format(i)\n",
      "\n",
      "        act_row = actual.loc[i]\n",
      "\n",
      "        for j, exp_item in exp_row.iteritems():\n",
      "            assert j in act_row.index, \\\n",
      "                'Expected column {!r} not found.'.format(j)\n",
      "\n",
      "            act_item = act_row[j]\n",
      "\n",
      "            try:\n",
      "                comp(act_item, exp_item)\n",
      "            except AssertionError as e:\n",
      "                raise AssertionError(\n",
      "                    e.message + '\\n\\nColumn: {!r}\\nRow: {!r}'.format(j, i))"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [],
     "prompt_number": 53
    },
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     "cell_type": "code",
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     "input": [
      "expected = pd.DataFrame({'a': [1, np.nan, 3],\n",
      "                         'b': [np.nan, 5, 6]},\n",
      "                        index=['x', 'y', 'z'])"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [],
     "prompt_number": 54
    },
    {
     "cell_type": "code",
     "collapsed": false,
     "input": [
      "actual = pd.DataFrame([[4, 1],\n",
      "                       [6, 3],\n",
      "                       [5, np.nan]],\n",
      "                      index=['x', 'z', 'y'],\n",
      "                      columns=['b', 'a'])"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [],
     "prompt_number": 55
    },
    {
     "cell_type": "code",
     "collapsed": false,
     "input": [
      "assert_frames_equal(actual, actual)"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [],
     "prompt_number": 56
    },
    {
     "cell_type": "code",
     "collapsed": false,
     "input": [
      "assert_frames_equal(actual, expected)"
     ],
     "language": "python",
     "metadata": {},
     "outputs": [
      {
       "ename": "AssertionError",
       "evalue": "\nItems are not equal:\n ACTUAL: 4.0\n DESIRED: nan\n\nColumn: 'b'\nRow: 'x'",
       "output_type": "pyerr",
       "traceback": [
        "\u001b[0;31m---------------------------------------------------------------------------\u001b[0m\n\u001b[0;31mAssertionError\u001b[0m                            Traceback (most recent call last)",
        "\u001b[0;32m<ipython-input-57-2fa991ae8dd6>\u001b[0m in \u001b[0;36m<module>\u001b[0;34m()\u001b[0m\n\u001b[0;32m----> 1\u001b[0;31m \u001b[0massert_frames_equal\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m(\u001b[0m\u001b[0mactual\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m,\u001b[0m \u001b[0mexpected\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m)\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n\u001b[0m",
        "\u001b[0;32m<ipython-input-53-fedbc359fc19>\u001b[0m in \u001b[0;36massert_frames_equal\u001b[0;34m(actual, expected)\u001b[0m\n\u001b[1;32m     24\u001b[0m             \u001b[0;32mexcept\u001b[0m \u001b[0mAssertionError\u001b[0m \u001b[0;32mas\u001b[0m \u001b[0me\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m:\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n\u001b[1;32m     25\u001b[0m                 raise AssertionError(e.message + \n\u001b[0;32m---> 26\u001b[0;31m                                      '\\n\\nColumn: {!r}\\nRow: {!r}'.format(j, i))\n\u001b[0m",
        "\u001b[0;31mAssertionError\u001b[0m: \nItems are not equal:\n ACTUAL: 4.0\n DESIRED: nan\n\nColumn: 'b'\nRow: 'x'"
       ]
      }
     ],
     "prompt_number": 57
    },
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     "input": [],
     "language": "python",
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}

Hi, Awesome code.
When trying to run the code, if there are multiple errors, only the first error is given.
Is this intended?