What is the difference between merge and join in pandas?

What is the difference between merge and join in pandas?

In pandas, 'merge' is used to combine two DataFrames based on a common column, while 'join' is used to combine DataFrames based on their index.

Can you give me an example of how to use merge?

Sure! You can use pd.merge(df1, df2, on='key') to merge two DataFrames on the 'key' column.

And how about using join?

You can use df1.join(df2) to join two DataFrames based on their indices. You can also specify the 'on' parameter if needed.

When should I use merge instead of join?

Use 'merge' when you need to combine DataFrames based on specific columns, and 'join' when you want to combine them based on their indices.