# tf.feature_column.embedding_column

tf.feature_column.embedding_column(
categorical_column,
dimension,
combiner='mean',
initializer=None,
tensor_name_in_ckpt=None,
max_norm=None,
trainable=True
)


_DenseColumn that converts from sparse, categorical input.

Use this when your inputs are sparse, but you want to convert them to a dense representation (e.g., to feed to a DNN).

Inputs must be a _CategoricalColumn created by any of the categorical_column_* function. Here is an example of using embedding_column with DNNClassifier:

video_id = categorical_column_with_identity(
key='video_id', num_buckets=1000000, default_value=0)
columns = [embedding_column(video_id, 9),...]

estimator = tf.estimator.DNNClassifier(feature_columns=columns, ...)

label_column = ...
def input_fn():
features = tf.parse_example(
..., features=make_parse_example_spec(columns + [label_column]))
labels = features.pop(label_column.name)
return features, labels

estimator.train(input_fn=input_fn, steps=100)


Here is an example using embedding_column with model_fn:

def model_fn(features, ...):
video_id = categorical_column_with_identity(
key='video_id', num_buckets=1000000, default_value=0)
columns = [embedding_column(video_id, 9),...]
dense_tensor = input_layer(features, columns)
# Form DNN layers, calculate loss, and return EstimatorSpec.
...


#### Args:

• categorical_column: A _CategoricalColumn created by a categorical_column_with_* function. This column produces the sparse IDs that are inputs to the embedding lookup.
• dimension: An integer specifying dimension of the embedding, must be > 0.
• combiner: A string specifying how to reduce if there are multiple entries in a single row. Currently 'mean', 'sqrtn' and 'sum' are supported, with 'mean' the default. 'sqrtn' often achieves good accuracy, in particular with bag-of-words columns. Each of this can be thought as example level normalizations on the column. For more information, see tf.embedding_lookup_sparse.
• initializer: A variable initializer function to be used in embedding variable initialization. If not specified, defaults to tf.truncated_normal_initializer with mean 0.0 and standard deviation 1/sqrt(dimension).
• ckpt_to_load_from: String representing checkpoint name/pattern from which to restore column weights. Required if tensor_name_in_ckpt is not None.
• tensor_name_in_ckpt: Name of the Tensor in ckpt_to_load_from from which to restore the column weights. Required if ckpt_to_load_from is not None.
• max_norm: If not None, embedding values are l2-normalized to this value.
• trainable: Whether or not the embedding is trainable. Default is True.

#### Returns:

_DenseColumn that converts from sparse input.

#### Raises:

• ValueError: if dimension not > 0.
• ValueError: if exactly one of ckpt_to_load_from and tensor_name_in_ckpt is specified.
• ValueError: if initializer is specified and is not callable.
• RuntimeError: If eager execution is enabled.