columnize

Format a simple (i.e. not nested) list into aligned columns.

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In showing a long lists, sometimes one would prefer to see the value arranged aligned in columns. Some examples include listing methods of an object, listing debugger commands, or showing a numeric array with data aligned.

This is a Python module to format a simple (i.e. not nested) list into aligned columns. A string with embedded newline characters is returned.

Setup

$ python >>> import columnize

With String data

Each column is only as wide as necessary. By default, columns are separated by two spaces; one was not legible enough. Set colsep to adjust the string separate columns. Set displaywidth to set the line width.

>>> g = ('bibrons', 'golden', 'madascar', 'leopard', 'mourning', 'suras', 'tokay')
>>> print(columnize.columnize(g, displaywidth=15))
bibrons   suras
golden    tokay
madascar
leopard
mourning

>>> print(columnize.columnize(g, displaywidth=19, colsep=' | '))
bibrons  | mourning
golden   | suras
madascar | tokay
leopard

>>> print(columnize.columnize(g, displaywidth=18, colsep=' | ', ljust=False))
bibrons | suras
 golden | tokay
madascar
 leopard

Normally, consecutive items go down from the top to bottom from the left-most column to the right-most. If arrange_vertical is set false, consecutive items will go across, left to right, top to bottom.

With numeric data

>>> print(columnize.columnize(['1', '2', '3', '4'], displaywidth=6)) # => '1  3\n2  4\n'
1  3
2  4

>>> print(columnize.columnize(list(range(1,6)), displaywidth=8))
1  3  5
2  4

By default entries are left justified:

>>>  print(columnize.columnize(list(range(1,16)), displaywidth=10))
1 6 11 2 7 12 3 8 13 4 9 14 5 10 15

but you can change that with ljust or if arrange_array is set to True:

>>>  print(columnize.columnize(list(range(1,16)), displaywidth=10, ljust=False))
1   6  11
2   7  12
3   8  13
4   9  14
5  10  15

>>> print(columnize.columnize(list(range(1,5)), opts={'arrange_array':True, 'displaywidth':6}))
[1, 2
 3, 4]

Credits

This module (essentially one function) was adapted from a private method of the same name from Python’s cmd module. Some adjustments and generalizations have been made.

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Other stuff

Authors: Rocky Bernstein rb@dustyfeet.com

License: MIT

Project details

These details have not been verified by PyPI

Project links

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Release history Release notifications | RSS feed

This version

0.3.11

Mar 12, 2022

0.3.10

Apr 17, 2020

0.3.9

Mar 19, 2016

0.3.8

Jan 14, 2015

0.3.7

Jan 13, 2015

0.3.6

Apr 22, 2013

0.3.5-01

Apr 18, 2013

0.3.5

Apr 18, 2013

0.3.4

Jan 4, 2013

0.3.3

Oct 28, 2010

0.3.2

Mar 8, 2009

0.3.1

Jan 10, 2009

0.3.0

Jan 6, 2009

0.2.0

Jan 1, 2009

0.1.0

Dec 14, 2008

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