from functools import partial
from rpy2.ipython import html
html.html_rdataframe=partial(html.html_rdataframe, table_class="docutils")

tidyr in Python

from rpy2.robjects.lib.tidyr import DataFrame

(note: dplyr is implicitly used by tidyr.)

In addition to that, and because this tutorial is in a notebook, we initialize HTML rendering for R objects (pretty display of R data frames).

import rpy2.ipython.html
rpy2.ipython.html.init_printing()

from collections import OrderedDict
from rpy2.robjects.vectors import (StrVector,
                                   IntVector)
dataf = DataFrame(OrderedDict(x=StrVector(("a", "b", "b")),
                              y=IntVector((3, 4, 5)),
		              z=IntVector((6, 7, 8))))
dataf

DataFrame with 3 rows and 3 columns:

		x	y	z
0	1	a	3	6
1	2	b	4	7
2	3	b	5	8

dataf.spread('x', 'y')

DataFrame with 3 rows and 3 columns:

		z	a	b
0	1	6	3	NA_integer_
1	2	7	NA_integer_	4
2	3	8	NA_integer_	5

Reuse. Get things done. Don't reimplement.