Move json_normalize to pd namespace

doc/source/user_guide/io.rst

@@ -2150,7 +2150,7 @@ into a flat table.
 
 .. ipython:: python
 
-   from pandas.io.json import json_normalize
+   from pandas import json_normalize
    data = [{'id': 1, 'name': {'first': 'Coleen', 'last': 'Volk'}},
            {'name': {'given': 'Mose', 'family': 'Regner'}},
            {'id': 2, 'name': 'Faye Raker'}]

doc/source/whatsnew/v1.0.0.rst

@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ Other API changes
 
 Deprecations
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
+- :func:`pandas.json_normalize` is now exposed in the top-level namespace. Usage of :func:`json_normalize` as :func:`pandas.io.json.json_normalize` is now deprecated and it is recommended to use :func:`json_normalize` as :func:`pandas.json_normalize` instead. (:issue:`27586`)
 -
 -
 

pandas/__init__.py

@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@
     read_spss,
 )
 
+from pandas.io.json import _json_normalize as json_normalize
+
 from pandas.util._tester import test
 import pandas.testing
 import pandas.arrays

pandas/io/json/__init__.py

@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 from pandas.io.json._json import dumps, loads, read_json, to_json
-from pandas.io.json._normalize import json_normalize
+from pandas.io.json._normalize import _json_normalize, json_normalize
 from pandas.io.json._table_schema import build_table_schema
 
 __all__ = [
     "dumps",
     "loads",
     "read_json",
     "to_json",
+    "_json_normalize",
     "json_normalize",
     "build_table_schema",
 ]

pandas/io/json/_normalize.py

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 
 from pandas._libs.writers import convert_json_to_lines
+from pandas.util._decorators import deprecate
 
 from pandas import DataFrame
 
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ def nested_to_record(
     return new_ds
 
 
-def json_normalize(
+def _json_normalize(
     data: Union[Dict, List[Dict]],
     record_path: Optional[Union[str, List]] = None,
     meta: Optional[Union[str, List]] = None,
@@ -341,3 +342,8 @@ def _recursive_extract(data, path, seen_meta, level=0):
             )
         result[k] = np.array(v, dtype=object).repeat(lengths)
     return result
+
+
+json_normalize = deprecate(
+    "pandas.io.json.json_normalize", _json_normalize, "1.0.0", "pandas.json_normalize"
+)

pandas/tests/api/test_api.py

@@ -168,6 +168,9 @@ class TestPDApi(Base):
         "read_spss",
     ]
 
+    # top-level json funcs
+    funcs_json = ["json_normalize"]
+
     # top-level to_* funcs
     funcs_to = ["to_datetime", "to_msgpack", "to_numeric", "to_pickle", "to_timedelta"]
 
@@ -206,6 +209,7 @@ def test_api(self):
             + self.funcs
             + self.funcs_option
             + self.funcs_read
+            + self.funcs_json
             + self.funcs_to
             + self.deprecated_funcs_in_future
             + self.deprecated_funcs

pandas/tests/io/json/test_normalize.py

@@ -5,10 +5,9 @@
 
 from pandas.compat import PY36
 
-from pandas import DataFrame, Index
+from pandas import DataFrame, Index, json_normalize
 import pandas.util.testing as tm
 
-from pandas.io.json import json_normalize
 from pandas.io.json._normalize import nested_to_record