Displaying Columnized Data in Python

In the realm of command-line administration tools, it is often desirable to present data in well-aligned columns. While tab characters provide a straightforward solution, they fail when dealing with data of varying lengths. This article aims to address this challenge by presenting a Python solution inspired by the behavior of the Linux 'column -t' command.

Python offers a powerful solution for creating aesthetically pleasing columnized output using format strings. From Python 2.6 , the following approach can be employed:

table_data = [
    ['a', 'b', 'c'],
    ['aaaaaaaaaa', 'b', 'c'],
    ['a', 'bbbbbbbbbb', 'c']
]
for row in table_data:
    print("{: >20} {: >20} {: >20}".format(*row))

This code utilizes the format string syntax to specify a minimum width of 20 characters and right-align the text within each column, ensuring a tidy and consistent presentation:

              a                    b                    c
aaaaaaaaaa                    b                    c
              a           bbbbbbbbbb                    c

This solution effectively mimics the behavior of the 'column -t' command, providing an elegant and versatile method for displaying tabular data in Python-based command-line tools and applications.