Identifying Columns with a Partial String in Their Name

In a dataframe, you have a task to locate a column whose name partially matches a specific string. Unlike an exact match, the requirement is to identify columns containing the string 'spike' but potentially with additional characters before or after it, such as 'spike-2', 'hey spike', or 'spiked-in'.

To accomplish this, we can utilize a loop to iterate through the dataframe's column names. Within this loop, we can examine each column name and determine if it contains the substring 'spike.' If a match is found, we store the column name in a variable or list.

Here's a detailed explanation of the approach:

1. Iterate over Column Names: Use a for loop to sequentially access each column name in the dataframe.
2. Check for Substring: Within the loop, check if the current column name contains the substring 'spike'. This can be done using the in operator.
3. Store Matching Column Names: If the column name contains 'spike,' add it to a variable or list. This list will hold the column names that partially match the desired string.

Once the loop has completed, the variable or list will contain the desired column names that partially match 'spike.' You can then access these columns as needed using the column name as a key.

Alternatively, if you desire to create a new dataframe containing only the columns that partially match 'spike,' you can use the filter method with a regular expression to achieve this.