Repository: lincc-frameworks/nested-pandas

Issue:
Implement NestedFrame.__delitem__ for nested columns
**Feature request**

It would be nice if we can do `del nf['nested.x']`, currently it raises `KeyError`. I believe we should implement `__delitem__` for that

**Before submitting**
Please check the following:

- [x] I have described the purpose of the suggested change, specifying what I need the enhancement to accomplish, i.e. what problem it solves.
- [x] I have included any relevant links, screenshots, environment information, and data relevant to implementing the requested feature, as well as pseudocode for how I want to access the new functionality.
- [x] If I have ideas for how the new feature could be implemented, I have provided explanations and/or pseudocode and/or task lists for the steps.

Discussion:

Solution patch:
diff --git a/src/nested_pandas/nestedframe/core.py b/src/nested_pandas/nestedframe/core.py
index 01a74a7..17f6082 100644
--- a/src/nested_pandas/nestedframe/core.py
+++ b/src/nested_pandas/nestedframe/core.py
@@ -293,6 +293,10 @@ def __setitem__(self, key, value):
         super().__setitem__(key, value)
         self._cast_cols_to_nested(struct_list=False)
 
+    def __delitem__(self, key):
+        """Delete a column or a nested field using dot notation (e.g., del nf['nested.x'])"""
+        self.drop([key], axis=1, inplace=True)
+
     def add_nested(
         self,
         obj,
@@ -621,7 +625,10 @@ def drop(
                 # drop targeted sub-columns for each nested column
                 for col in nested_cols:
                     sub_cols = [label.split(".")[1] for label in nested_labels if label.split(".")[0] == col]
-                    self = self.assign(**{f"{col}": self[col].nest.without_field(sub_cols)})
+                    if inplace:
+                        self[col] = self[col].nest.without_field(sub_cols)
+                    else:
+                        self = self.assign(**{f"{col}": self[col].nest.without_field(sub_cols)})
 
             # drop remaining base columns
             if len(base_labels) > 0:
@@ -635,7 +642,7 @@ def drop(
                     errors=errors,
                 )
             else:
-                return self
+                return self if not inplace else None
         # Otherwise just drop like pandas
         return super().drop(
             labels=labels,


Test patch:
diff --git a/tests/nested_pandas/nestedframe/test_nestedframe.py b/tests/nested_pandas/nestedframe/test_nestedframe.py
index 9e449fa..19f78bb 100644
--- a/tests/nested_pandas/nestedframe/test_nestedframe.py
+++ b/tests/nested_pandas/nestedframe/test_nestedframe.py
@@ -1211,19 +1211,15 @@ def test_scientific_notation():
 
 def test_drop():
     """Test that we can drop nested columns from a NestedFrame"""
-
     base = NestedFrame(data={"a": [1, 2, 3], "b": [2, 4, 6]}, index=[0, 1, 2])
-
     nested = pd.DataFrame(
         data={"c": [0, 2, 4, 1, 4, 3, 1, 4, 1], "d": [5, 4, 7, 5, 3, 1, 9, 3, 4]},
         index=[0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2],
     )
-
     nested2 = pd.DataFrame(
         data={"e": [0, 2, 4, 1, 4, 3, 1, 4, 1], "f": [5, 4, 7, 5, 3, 1, 9, 3, 4]},
         index=[0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2],
     )
-
     base = base.add_nested(nested, "nested").add_nested(nested2, "nested2")
 
     # test axis=0 drop
@@ -1256,6 +1252,31 @@ def test_drop():
     assert "c" not in dropped_multiple.nested.nest.fields
     assert "f" not in dropped_multiple.nested2.nest.fields
 
+    # Test inplace=True for both base and nested columns
+    base2 = base.copy()
+    base2.drop(["a", "nested.c"], axis=1, inplace=True)
+    assert "a" not in base2.columns
+    assert "c" not in base2["nested"].nest.fields
+    assert "b" in base2.columns
+    assert "d" in base2["nested"].nest.fields
+
+    # Test inplace=False for both base and nested columns
+    base3 = base.copy()
+    dropped = base3.drop(["a", "nested.c"], axis=1, inplace=False)
+    assert "a" not in dropped.columns
+    assert "c" not in dropped["nested"].nest.fields
+    assert "b" in dropped.columns
+    assert "d" in dropped["nested"].nest.fields
+    # Original is unchanged
+    assert "a" in base3.columns
+    assert "c" in base3["nested"].nest.fields
+
+    # Test error for missing columns in multi-drop
+    with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+        base.drop(["not_a_column", "nested.c"], axis=1)
+    with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+        base.drop(["a", "nested.not_a_field"], axis=1)
+
 
 def test_eval():
     """
@@ -1496,3 +1517,25 @@ def test_nest_lists():
     # and that we raise an error if we try to do so.
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):
         ndf.nest_lists(columns=["c", "d"], name="nested")
+
+
+def test_delitem_base_and_nested():
+    """Test that __delitem__ works for both base and nested columns."""
+    base = NestedFrame(data={"a": [1, 2, 3], "b": [2, 4, 6]}, index=[0, 1, 2])
+    nested = pd.DataFrame(
+        data={"c": [0, 2, 4, 1, 4, 3, 1, 4, 1], "d": [5, 4, 7, 5, 3, 1, 9, 3, 4]},
+        index=[0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2],
+    )
+    base = base.add_nested(nested, "nested")
+
+    # Delete a nested field
+    del base["nested.c"]
+    assert "c" not in base["nested"].nest.fields
+    # Delete a base column
+    del base["a"]
+    assert "a" not in base.columns
+    # Deleting a missing column should raise KeyError
+    with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+        del base["not_a_column"]
+    with pytest.raises(KeyError):
+        del base["nested.not_a_field"]