API: Is pandas.util public?

[twoertwein]

util is not re-exported in pandas/__init__.py (pd.util fails) but two functions are documented to be public in pd.util: hash_pandas_object and hash_array.

Should these two functions directly be accessed through pandas/__init__.py or should util be re-exported? If util should be re-exported, what about the other functions/classes in pandas/util/__init__.py (they are not documented to be public)?

[rhshadrach]

This was added to the docs in #23082. Also #23066 (comment) seems particularly relevant.

The API docs explicitly state that pandas.util is private.

I see four options here:

• Move to the top namespace
• Move to pandas.api.??
• Make pandas.util public
• Deprecate these methods from being public (if they aren't being used by 3rd parties)

No real opinion.

[mroeschke]

I would opt to move them to the top namespace or pandas.api.util and deprecate them from pandas.util