ENH: Series item access via attribute #1903

pandas/core/series.py

@@ -437,6 +437,22 @@ def ix(self):
 
         return self._ix
 
+
+    def __getattr__(self, key):
+        # make sure there is something to look into
+        if self.index is not None:
+            # If attribute is in the Series index ...
+            if key in self.index:
+                # ... return item as an attribute
+                return self[key]
+            else:
+                # ... raise the usual exception
+                raise AttributeError("'Series' object has no attribute '%s'" % key)
+        else:
+            # ... raise the usual exception
+            raise AttributeError("'Series' object has no attribute '%s'" % key)
+
+
     def __getitem__(self, key):
         try:
             return self.index.get_value(self, key)

pandas/tests/test_series.py

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import os
 import operator
 import unittest
+import types
 
 import nose
 
@@ -3133,6 +3134,36 @@ def test_unique_data_ownership(self):
         Series(Series(["a","c","b"]).unique()).sort()
 
 
+    def test_dot_notation_items_access(self):
+        '''
+        cf #1903
+        '''
+        s = Series({'a' : 11, 'b' : 12, 'c' : 13,
+                    'append' : 14, 'T' : 15,
+                    '100' : 16, '*' : 17})
+
+        # check dot notation / getattr()
+        self.assert_(s.a == getattr(s, 'a') == s['a'] == 11)
+        self.assert_(s.b == getattr(s, 'b') == s['b'] == 12)
+        self.assert_(s.c == getattr(s, 'c') == s['c'] == 13)
+
+        # check getattr() for special keys (no dot notation)
+        self.assert_(getattr(s, '100') == s['100'] == 16)
+        self.assert_(getattr(s, '*') == s['*'] == 17)
+
+        # check AttributeError on non-existing series keys
+        self.assertRaises(AttributeError, getattr, s, 'aaa')
+        self.assertRaises(AttributeError, getattr, s, 'other_key')
+
+        # Existing methods/property should overwrite attribute dot notation
+        self.assert_(isinstance(s.append,  types.MethodType))
+        self.assert_(isinstance(s.T,  Series))
+
+        # Masked attributes are still available via dict notation
+        self.assert_(s['append'] == 14)
+        self.assert_(s['T'] == 15)
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     nose.runmodule(argv=[__file__,'-vvs','-x','--pdb', '--pdb-failure'],
                    exit=False)