reading variable number of columns with pandas

variable_cols.ipynb

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      "import pandas\n",
      "import StringIO\n"
     ],
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     "prompt_number": 38
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      "data1 = \"\"\"\\\n",
      "a,b,c,d,e,f\n",
      "1,2,3\n",
      "4,5,6,7,8,9\n",
      "1,2,3,4    \"\"\"\n",
      "df1 = pandas.read_csv(StringIO.StringIO(data1))\n",
      "df1"
     ],
     "language": "python",
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        "<div style=\"max-height:1000px;max-width:1500px;overflow:auto;\">\n",
        "<table border=\"1\" class=\"dataframe\">\n",
        "  <thead>\n",
        "    <tr style=\"text-align: right;\">\n",
        "      <th></th>\n",
        "      <th>a</th>\n",
        "      <th>b</th>\n",
        "      <th>c</th>\n",
        "      <th>d</th>\n",
        "      <th>e</th>\n",
        "      <th>f</th>\n",
        "    </tr>\n",
        "  </thead>\n",
        "  <tbody>\n",
        "    <tr>\n",
        "      <td><strong>0</strong></td>\n",
        "      <td> 1</td>\n",
        "      <td> 2</td>\n",
        "      <td> 3</td>\n",
        "      <td>NaN</td>\n",
        "      <td>NaN</td>\n",
        "      <td>NaN</td>\n",
        "    </tr>\n",
        "    <tr>\n",
        "      <td><strong>1</strong></td>\n",
        "      <td> 4</td>\n",
        "      <td> 5</td>\n",
        "      <td> 6</td>\n",
        "      <td>  7</td>\n",
        "      <td>  8</td>\n",
        "      <td>  9</td>\n",
        "    </tr>\n",
        "    <tr>\n",
        "      <td><strong>2</strong></td>\n",
        "      <td> 1</td>\n",
        "      <td> 2</td>\n",
        "      <td> 3</td>\n",
        "      <td>  4</td>\n",
        "      <td>NaN</td>\n",
        "      <td>NaN</td>\n",
        "    </tr>\n",
        "  </tbody>\n",
        "</table>\n",
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       "text": [
        "   a  b  c   d   e   f\n",
        "0  1  2  3 NaN NaN NaN\n",
        "1  4  5  6   7   8   9\n",
        "2  1  2  3   4 NaN NaN"
       ]
      }
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     "prompt_number": 39
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      "data2 = \"\"\"\\\n",
      "a b c d e f\n",
      "1 2 3\n",
      "4 5 6 7 8 9\n",
      "1 2 3 4    \"\"\"\n",
      "df2 = pandas.read_fwf(StringIO.StringIO(data2), widths=[2]*6)\n",
      "df2"
     ],
     "language": "python",
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        "<table border=\"1\" class=\"dataframe\">\n",
        "  <thead>\n",
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        "      <th></th>\n",
        "      <th>a</th>\n",
        "      <th>b</th>\n",
        "      <th>c</th>\n",
        "      <th>d</th>\n",
        "      <th>e</th>\n",
        "      <th>f\n",
        "</th>\n",
        "    </tr>\n",
        "  </thead>\n",
        "  <tbody>\n",
        "    <tr>\n",
        "      <td><strong>0</strong></td>\n",
        "      <td> 1</td>\n",
        "      <td> 2</td>\n",
        "      <td> 3</td>\n",
        "      <td>NaN</td>\n",
        "      <td>NaN</td>\n",
        "      <td>NaN</td>\n",
        "    </tr>\n",
        "    <tr>\n",
        "      <td><strong>1</strong></td>\n",
        "      <td> 4</td>\n",
        "      <td> 5</td>\n",
        "      <td> 6</td>\n",
        "      <td>  7</td>\n",
        "      <td>  8</td>\n",
        "      <td>  9</td>\n",
        "    </tr>\n",
        "    <tr>\n",
        "      <td><strong>2</strong></td>\n",
        "      <td> 1</td>\n",
        "      <td> 2</td>\n",
        "      <td> 3</td>\n",
        "      <td>  4</td>\n",
        "      <td>NaN</td>\n",
        "      <td>NaN</td>\n",
        "    </tr>\n",
        "  </tbody>\n",
        "</table>\n",
        "</div>"
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        "   a  b  c   d   e  f\n",
        "\n",
        "0  1  2  3 NaN NaN NaN\n",
        "1  4  5  6   7   8   9\n",
        "2  1  2  3   4 NaN NaN"
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