Using dfs and calculate_feature_matrix?

Question

You could use ft.dfs to get back feature definitions as input to ft.calculate_feature_matrix or you could just use ft.dfs to compute the feature matrix. Is there a recommended way of using ft.dfs and ft.calculate_feature_matrix for best practice?

Answer 1

If you're in a situation where you might use either, the answer is to use ft.dfs to create both features and a feature matrix. If you're starting with a blank slate, you'll want to be able to examine and use a feature matrix for data analysis and feature selection. For that purpose, you're better off doing both at once with ft.dfs.

There are times when calculate_feature_matrix is the tool to use as well, though you'll often be able to tell if you're in that situation. The main cases are:

1. You've loaded in features that were previously saved
2. You want to rebuild the same features on new data