python - how to make a pandas dataframe column into a datetime object showing just the date to correctly sort -

when sort on month_date in dataframe (df) contains

[2014-06-01, 2014-07-01, 2014-08-01,2014-09-01,2014-10-01] following:

result = df.sort(['month_date'], ascending=true)  

however result (in order):

10, 6, 7, 8, 9,

whereas expected 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

maybe because didn't specify month_date column should datetime object (and contain date , no time component.

how make month_date column in dataframe datetime object contains date pandas understands sorted in following order: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,

update - ys-l correct answer below

df = pd.dataframe({'month_date': ['2014-06-01', '2014-01-01', '2014-08-01','2014-09-01','2014-10-01']}) df['month_date'] = pd.to_datetime(df['month_date']) print df.sort(['month_date'], ascending=true) 

you can use pandas.to_datetime convert column datetime type, , perform sorting:

df = pd.dataframe({'month_date': ['2014-06-01', '2014-01-01', '2014-08-01','2014-09-01','2014-10-01']}) df['month_date'] = pd.to_datetime(df['month_date']) print df.sort(['month_date'], ascending=true) 

output:

           month_date 1 2014-01-01 00:00:00 0 2014-06-01 00:00:00 2 2014-08-01 00:00:00 3 2014-09-01 00:00:00 4 2014-10-01 00:00:00