# http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11979194/subclasses-of-pandas-object-work-differently-from-subclass-of-other-object
import pandas as pd

class Support(pd.Series):
    def __new__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
        arr = Series.__new__(cls, *args, **kwargs)
        return arr.view(Support)
    
    def supportMethod1(self):
        print 'I am support method 1'       
    def supportMethod2(self):
        print 'I am support method 2'

class Compute(object):
    supp=None        
    def test(self):
        self.supp()  

class Config(object):
    supp=None        
    @classmethod
    def initializeConfig(cls):
        cls.supp=Support()
    @classmethod
    def setConfig1(cls):
        Compute.supp=cls.supp.supportMethod1
    @classmethod
    def setConfig2(cls):
        Compute.supp=cls.supp.supportMethod2            

    

# adding the __new__ works for this simple demo
s = Support(range(10))
assert s.supportMethod1() == Support.supportMethod1(s)
assert isinstance(s, Support)

assert not isinstance(s.cumsum(), Support)
assert not isinstance(s.ix[:5], Support)


s = Support(range(10))
df = pd.DataFrame({'s': s})
# df.s is not Support or even the Series. It's the data.
assert not isinstance(df.s, Support)
assert id(s) != id(df.s)
s.ix[0] = 888
# does not change df
df

import numpy as np

s1 = Support(range(10))
s2 = Support(range(10, 20))

stacked = np.vstack((s1, s2))

s.ix[0] = 10
assert stacked[0][0] != s[0]

stacked

items = {}
items['s1'] = 0
items['s2'] = 1
def get_support_series(frame, key):
    ind = items[key]
    row = stacked[ind]
    # box row
    return Support(row)

s2_copy = get_support_series(stacked, 's2')
# values are same...
assert np.all(s2_copy == s2)
# but...
assert s2_copy is not s2
s2[0] = 888
assert s2_copy[0] != 888
# they are not the same!