Add drop_columns to dataframe api

datafusion/core/src/dataframe/mod.rs

@@ -244,6 +244,41 @@ impl DataFrame {
         })
     }
 
+    /// Returns a new DataFrame containing all columns except the specified columns.
+    ///
+    /// ```
+    /// # use datafusion::prelude::*;
+    /// # use datafusion::error::Result;
+    /// # #[tokio::main]
+    /// # async fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    /// let ctx = SessionContext::new();
+    /// let df = ctx.read_csv("tests/data/example.csv", CsvReadOptions::new()).await?;
+    /// let df = df.drop_columns(&["a"])?;
+    /// # Ok(())
+    /// # }
+    /// ```
+    pub fn drop_columns(self, columns: &[&str]) -> Result<DataFrame> {
+        let fields_to_drop = columns
+            .iter()
+            .map(|name| {
+                self.plan
+                    .schema()
+                    .qualified_field_with_unqualified_name(name)
+            })
+            .collect::<Result<Vec<_>>>()?;
+        let expr: Vec<Expr> = self
+            .plan
+            .schema()
+            .fields()
+            .into_iter()
+            .enumerate()
+            .map(|(idx, _)| self.plan.schema().qualified_field(idx))
+            .filter(|(qualifier, f)| !fields_to_drop.contains(&(*qualifier, f)))
+            .map(|(qualifier, field)| Expr::Column(Column::from((qualifier, field))))
+            .collect();
+        self.select(expr)
+    }
+
     /// Expand each list element of a column to multiple rows.
     #[deprecated(since = "37.0.0", note = "use unnest_columns instead")]
     pub fn unnest_column(self, column: &str) -> Result<DataFrame> {
@@ -1799,6 +1834,51 @@ mod tests {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn drop_columns() -> Result<()> {
+        // build plan using Table API
+
+        let t = test_table().await?;
+        let t2 = t.drop_columns(&["c2", "c11"])?;
+        let plan = t2.plan.clone();
+
+        // build query using SQL
+        let sql_plan = create_plan(
+            "SELECT c1,c3,c4,c5,c6,c7,c8,c9,c10,c12,c13 FROM aggregate_test_100",
+        )
+        .await?;
+
+        // the two plans should be identical
+        assert_same_plan(&plan, &sql_plan);
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn drop_with_periods() -> Result<()> {
+        // define data with a column name that has a "." in it:
+        let array1: Int32Array = [1, 10].into_iter().collect();
+        let array2: Int32Array = [2, 11].into_iter().collect();
+        let batch = RecordBatch::try_from_iter(vec![
+            ("f.c1", Arc::new(array1) as _),
+            ("f.c2", Arc::new(array2) as _),
+        ])?;
+
+        let ctx = SessionContext::new();
+        ctx.register_batch("t", batch)?;
+
+        let df = ctx.table("t").await?.drop_columns(&["f.c1"])?;
+
+        let df_results = df.collect().await?;
+
+        assert_batches_sorted_eq!(
+            ["+------+", "| f.c2 |", "+------+", "| 2    |", "| 11   |", "+------+"],
+            &df_results
+        );
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn aggregate() -> Result<()> {
         // build plan using DataFrame API

docs/source/user-guide/dataframe.md

@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ execution. The plan is evaluated (executed) when an action method is invoked, su
 | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
 | aggregate           | Perform an aggregate query with optional grouping expressions.                                                                             |
 | distinct            | Filter out duplicate rows.                                                                                                                 |
+| drop_columns        | Create a projection with all but the provided column names.                                                                                |
 | except              | Calculate the exception of two DataFrames. The two DataFrames must have exactly the same schema                                            |
 | filter              | Filter a DataFrame to only include rows that match the specified filter expression.                                                        |
 | intersect           | Calculate the intersection of two DataFrames. The two DataFrames must have exactly the same schema                                         |