## GT.cols_move_to_start()


Move one or more columns to the start.


Usage

``` python
GT.cols_move_to_start(columns)
```


We can easily move set of columns to the beginning of the column series and we only need to specify which `columns`. It's possible to do this upstream of **Great Tables**, however, it is easier with this method and it presents less possibility for error. The ordering of the `columns` that are moved to the start is preserved (same with the ordering of all other columns in the table).

The columns supplied in `columns` must all exist in the table. If you need to place one or columns at the end of the column series, the [cols_move_to_end()](GT.cols_move_to_end.md#great_tables.GT.cols_move_to_end) method should be used. More control is offered with the [cols_move()](GT.cols_move.md#great_tables.GT.cols_move) method, where columns could be placed after a specific column.


## Parameters


`columns: SelectExpr`  
The columns to target. Can either be a single column name or a series of column names provided in a list.


## Returns


`GT`  
The GT object is returned. This is the same object that the method is called on so that we can facilitate method chaining.


## Examples

For this example, we'll use a portion of the [countrypops](data.countrypops.md#great_tables.data.countrypops) dataset to create a simple table. Let's move the `year` column, which is the middle column, to the start of the column series with the [cols_move_to_start()](GT.cols_move_to_start.md#great_tables.GT.cols_move_to_start) method.


``` python
from great_tables import GT
from great_tables.data import countrypops

countrypops_mini = countrypops.loc[countrypops["country_name"] == "Fiji"][
    ["country_name", "year", "population"]
].tail(5)

GT(countrypops_mini).cols_move_to_start(columns="year")
```


| year | country_name | population |
|------|--------------|------------|
| 2018 | Fiji         | 918996     |
| 2019 | Fiji         | 918465     |
| 2020 | Fiji         | 920422     |
| 2021 | Fiji         | 924610     |
| 2022 | Fiji         | 929766     |


We can also move multiple columns at a time. With the same [countrypops](data.countrypops.md#great_tables.data.countrypops)-based table (`countrypops_mini`), let's move both the `year` and `population` columns to the start of the column series.


``` python
GT(countrypops_mini).cols_move_to_start(columns=["year", "population"])
```


| year | population | country_name |
|------|------------|--------------|
| 2018 | 918996     | Fiji         |
| 2019 | 918465     | Fiji         |
| 2020 | 920422     | Fiji         |
| 2021 | 924610     | Fiji         |
| 2022 | 929766     | Fiji         |