columnize 0.3.7

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

 [](https://travis-ci.org/rocky/columnize/) [](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/columnize/) [](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/columnize/)

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
$ 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.

```python
>>> 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 | suras
golden | tokay
madascar
leopard
mourning

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

```python
>>> 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:

```python
>>> 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*:

```python
>>> 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](http://docs.python.org/library/cmd.html) module. Some
adjustments and generalizations have been made.

Other stuff
-----------

Authors: Rocky Bernstein <[e-mail]> [](https://coderwall.com/rocky)

License: MIT


0.3.7 2015-01-13

- Get terminal size more portably and reliably (Marc Abramowitz)
- More complete test coverage and testing across python versions, and
add an additional demo program (Marc Abramowitz)
- README changes, move to github,

0.3.6 2014-22-13

- Fix bugs in arrange_array

0.3.5 2014-18-13

- Reinstate ability to run on older Pythons. In particular Python
2.4.6 and 2.5.6 now. I suppose other version in between work too.

- Add opts hash to bundle the growing options old and new:
* arrange_array
* arrange_vertical
* arrange_horizontal
* array_prefix
* array_suffix
* colsep
* colfmt
* displaywidth
* lineprefix
* linesuffix
* ljust

- Fixes to make source tarball work. (Added test files properly)

0.3.4 2013-01-03
- Make 3k tolerant. This means it no longer works for versions less
than Python 2.6.

0.3.3 2010-28-10
- Work on packaging
- Remove pyflakes warnings
- Correct licensing information

0.3.2 2009-03-08 - Ron Frankel -1 Release

- Relax restriction that array has to be string. Now is just something
we can call str() on each of the elements on.

- Correct bug in vertical alignment

- Add an optional initial line prefix string

0.3.1 2009-01-10 - Sam Woodward Release
- Some small typos fixed.

0.3.0 2009-01-05

- 0.2.0 had bad bugs - don't use.
Allow specifying right justification as well as left justification

0.2.0 2008-12-31

- Add ability to run columns vertically