This allows you to test your code before the final 3.0 release.

..note::

This migration guide focuses on the changes and migration steps needed when

you are currently using ``object`` dtype for string data, which is used by

default in pandas < 3.0. If you are already using one of the opt-in string

dtypes, you can continue to do so without change.

See:ref:`string_migration_guide-for_existing_users` for more details.

Background

.. _string_migration_guide-for_existing_users:

For existing users of the nullable ``StringDtype``

While pandas 3.0 introduces a new _default_ string data type, pandas had an

opt-in nullable string data type since pandas 1.0, which can be specified using

``dtype="string"``. This nullable string dtype uses ``pd.NA`` as the missing

value indicator. In addition, also through:class:`ArrowDtype` (by using

``dtypes_backend="pyarrow"``) since pandas 1.5, one could already make use of

a dedicated string dtype.

If you are already using one of the nullable string dtypes, for example by

specifying ``dtype="string"``, by using:meth:`~DataFrame.convert_dtypes`, or

by specifying the ``dtype_backend`` argument in IO functions, you can continue

to do so without change.

The migration guide above applies to code that is currently (< 3.0) using object

dtype for string data.