Split (explode) pandas dataframe string entry to separate rows

Question

I have a pandas dataframe in which one column of text strings contains comma-separated values. I want to split each CSV field and create a new row per entry (as

Answer 1

Another solution that uses python copy package

import copy
new_observations = list()
def pandas_explode(df, column_to_explode):
    new_observations = list()
    for row in df.to_dict(orient='records'):
        explode_values = row[column_to_explode]
        del row[column_to_explode]
        if type(explode_values) is list or type(explode_values) is tuple:
            for explode_value in explode_values:
                new_observation = copy.deepcopy(row)
                new_observation[column_to_explode] = explode_value
                new_observations.append(new_observation) 
        else:
            new_observation = copy.deepcopy(row)
            new_observation[column_to_explode] = explode_values
            new_observations.append(new_observation) 
    return_df = pd.DataFrame(new_observations)
    return return_df

df = pandas_explode(df, column_name)