pandasapache-sparkpysparkpy4j

Error converting Spark DataFrame to pandas: Py4JException Method pandasStructHandlingMode does not exist

I am attempting to convert a Spark DataFrame to a pandas DataFrame and then save it to a CSV file using PySpark within an Anaconda environment. However, I encounter a Py4JException error stating that the method pandasStructHandlingMode does not exist. Below are the versions of the tools and libraries I am using:

Here is the relevant part of the code:

try:
    df_pandas = df_spark.toPandas()
except Exception as e:
    print("Error converting to pandas:", e)

And this is the full error message I receive:

py4j.Py4JException: Method pandasStructHandlingMode([]) does not exist
...

I have tried checking the Apache Arrow configuration to ensure it is enabled, but the error persists. Can anyone help me understand why this error occurs and how I can resolve it?

I have tried the following to resolve the issue:

  1. Changing Python Versions: I switched to different versions of Python within my Anaconda environment, including Python 3.8, but the issue persisted.
  2. Reinstalling Libraries: I reinstalled both pyspark and py4j using pip.
  3. Restarting: I restarted my system and the Anaconda environment multiple times to ensure all changes took effect.
Solution

  • I found a solution to this problem. It seems that PySpark version 3.5.1 has a compatibility issue with converting to pandas. Changing the PySpark version to 3.4.0 resolved the issue for me. Here are the steps I followed:

    1. Uninstall the current version of PySpark:

      pip uninstall pyspark

    2. Install PySpark version 3.4.0:

      pip install pyspark==3.4.0

    After doing this, the code worked correctly, and I was able to convert the Spark DataFrame to pandas without any issues.