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What is the difference between head() and take() in PySpark?

Spark/Big Dataeasy0.4 min readPremium
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Asked at 1 company
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452
questions in Spark/Big Data
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1,863
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Globant
Key Concepts Tested
spark
Expert AnswerPremium
89 wordsInterview-ready
**head(n)**: Returns first n rows as list of Row. head() without arg = first row. DataFrame API. **take(n)**: Same—list of Row. RDD origin. Both are actions. **Functionally**: Equivalent for DataFrames. Use either for small samples. **Why Care**: Both bring data to driver. On huge DF, use `limit(n)` in transformation to reduce data before action. Or `df.limit(100).collect()` for sampling. **Scalability Trade-offs**: head(1000) on 1B rows = driver gets 1000; full scan....
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