Support categorical data with pandas Dataframe in inplace prediction (#7322)

python-package/xgboost/core.py

@@ -1973,13 +1973,6 @@ class Booster(object):
         preds = ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_float)()
 
         # once caching is supported, we can pass id(data) as cache id.
-        try:
-            import pandas as pd
-
-            if isinstance(data, pd.DataFrame):
-                data = data.values
-        except ImportError:
-            pass
         args = {
             "type": 0,
             "training": False,
@@ -2014,7 +2007,15 @@ class Booster(object):
                     f"got {data.shape[1]}"
                 )
 
+        from .data import _is_pandas_df, _transform_pandas_df
         from .data import _array_interface
+        if _is_pandas_df(data):
+            ft = self.feature_types
+            if ft is None:
+                enable_categorical = False
+            else:
+                enable_categorical = any(f == "c" for f in ft)
+            data, _, _ = _transform_pandas_df(data, enable_categorical)
         if isinstance(data, np.ndarray):
             from .data import _ensure_np_dtype
             data, _ = _ensure_np_dtype(data, data.dtype)
@@ -2068,7 +2069,6 @@ class Booster(object):
             return _prediction_output(shape, dims, preds, True)
         if lazy_isinstance(data, "cudf.core.dataframe", "DataFrame"):
             from .data import _cudf_array_interfaces
-
             _, interfaces_str = _cudf_array_interfaces(data)
             _check_call(
                 _LIB.XGBoosterPredictFromCudaColumnar(

python-package/xgboost/data.py

@@ -289,16 +289,15 @@ def _transform_pandas_df(
 def _from_pandas_df(
     data,
     enable_categorical: bool,
-    missing,
-    nthread,
+    missing: float,
+    nthread: int,
     feature_names: Optional[List[str]],
     feature_types: Optional[List[str]],
-):
+) -> Tuple[ctypes.c_void_p, Optional[List[str]], Optional[List[str]]]:
     data, feature_names, feature_types = _transform_pandas_df(
-        data, enable_categorical, feature_names, feature_types)
-    return _from_numpy_array(data, missing, nthread, feature_names,
-                             feature_types)
-
+        data, enable_categorical, feature_names, feature_types
+    )
+    return _from_numpy_array(data, missing, nthread, feature_names, feature_types)
 
 def _is_pandas_series(data):
     try:

python-package/xgboost/sklearn.py

@@ -809,11 +809,7 @@ class XGBModel(XGBModelBase):
         # Inplace predict doesn't handle as many data types as DMatrix, but it's
         # sufficient for dask interface where input is simpiler.
         predictor = self.get_params().get("predictor", None)
-        if (
-            not self.enable_categorical
-            and predictor in ("auto", None)
-            and self.booster != "gblinear"
-        ):
+        if predictor in ("auto", None) and self.booster != "gblinear":
             return True
         return False