API: referring to duplicate level name raises ValueError

pandas/core/indexes/multi.py

@@ -755,11 +755,11 @@ def _from_elements(values, labels=None, levels=None, names=None,
         return MultiIndex(levels, labels, names, sortorder=sortorder)
 
     def _get_level_number(self, level):
+        count = self.names.count(level)
+        if (count > 1) and not isinstance(level, int):
+            raise ValueError('The name %s occurs multiple times, use a '
+                             'level number' % level)
         try:
-            count = self.names.count(level)
-            if count > 1:
-                raise ValueError('The name %s occurs multiple times, use a '
-                                 'level number' % level)
             level = self.names.index(level)
         except ValueError:
             if not isinstance(level, int):
@@ -2881,13 +2881,6 @@ def isin(self, values, level=None):
             else:
                 return np.lib.arraysetops.in1d(labs, sought_labels)
 
-    def _reference_duplicate_name(self, name):
-        """
-        Returns True if the name refered to in self.names is duplicated.
-        """
-        # count the times name equals an element in self.names.
-        return sum(name == n for n in self.names) > 1
-
 
 MultiIndex._add_numeric_methods_disabled()
 MultiIndex._add_numeric_methods_add_sub_disabled()

pandas/core/reshape/reshape.py

@@ -115,12 +115,6 @@ def __init__(self, values, index, level=-1, value_columns=None,
 
         self.index = index.remove_unused_levels()
 
-        if isinstance(self.index, MultiIndex):
-            if index._reference_duplicate_name(level):
-                msg = ("Ambiguous reference to {level}. The index "
-                       "names are not unique.".format(level=level))
-                raise ValueError(msg)
-
         self.level = self.index._get_level_number(level)
 
         # when index includes `nan`, need to lift levels/strides by 1
@@ -534,12 +528,6 @@ def factorize(index):
 
     N, K = frame.shape
 
-    if isinstance(frame.columns, MultiIndex):
-        if frame.columns._reference_duplicate_name(level):
-            msg = ("Ambiguous reference to {level}. The column "
-                   "names are not unique.".format(level=level))
-            raise ValueError(msg)
-
     # Will also convert negative level numbers and check if out of bounds.
     level_num = frame.columns._get_level_number(level)
 

pandas/tests/indexes/test_multi.py

@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ def test_duplicate_level_names(self, names):
 
     def test_duplicate_level_names_access_raises(self):
         self.index.names = ['foo', 'foo']
-        tm.assert_raises_regex(KeyError, 'Level foo not found',
+        tm.assert_raises_regex(ValueError, 'name foo occurs multiple times',
                                self.index._get_level_number, 'foo')
 
     def assert_multiindex_copied(self, copy, original):