Python Table Print

A lightweight Python library for generating ASCII tables that automatically adjust their column widths to fit your data.

Installation

pip install python-table-print

Quick Start

PrintTable is the core class — add rows to it, then call get_table() to retrieve the formatted table as a string:

from table import PrintTable, Justification

schedule = PrintTable()
schedule.set_title("Solar System at a Glance")

schedule.add_row("Planet", "Type", "Moons", "Day Length", "Claim to Fame")
schedule.add_row("Mercury", "Terrestrial", "0",   "59 days",    "Closest to the Sun")
schedule.add_row("Venus",   "Terrestrial", "0",   "243 days",   "Hottest surface")
schedule.add_row("Earth",   "Terrestrial", "1",   "24 hours",   "Only known life")
schedule.add_row("Mars",    "Terrestrial", "2",   "24.6 hours", "Home of Olympus Mons")
schedule.add_row("Jupiter", "Gas giant",   "95",  "9.9 hours",  "Largest planet")
schedule.add_row("Saturn",  "Gas giant",   "146", "10.7 hours", "The ringed beauty")
schedule.add_row("Uranus",  "Ice giant",   "28",  "17.2 hours", "Rotates on its side")
schedule.add_row("Neptune", "Ice giant",   "16",  "16.1 hours", "Farthest from Sun")

schedule.set_column_justification(2, Justification.RIGHT)

print(schedule.get_table())

┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      Solar System at a Glance                     │
├─────────┬─────────────┬───────┬────────────┬──────────────────────┤
│ Planet  │ Type        │ Moons │ Day Length │ Claim to Fame        │
├─────────┼─────────────┼───────┼────────────┼──────────────────────┤
│ Mercury │ Terrestrial │     0 │ 59 days    │ Closest to the Sun   │
│ Venus   │ Terrestrial │     0 │ 243 days   │ Hottest surface      │
│ Earth   │ Terrestrial │     1 │ 24 hours   │ Only known life      │
│ Mars    │ Terrestrial │     2 │ 24.6 hours │ Home of Olympus Mons │
│ Jupiter │ Gas giant   │    95 │ 9.9 hours  │ Largest planet       │
│ Saturn  │ Gas giant   │   146 │ 10.7 hours │ The ringed beauty    │
│ Uranus  │ Ice giant   │    28 │ 17.2 hours │ Rotates on its side  │
│ Neptune │ Ice giant   │    16 │ 16.1 hours │ Farthest from Sun    │
└─────────┴─────────────┴───────┴────────────┴──────────────────────┘

get_table() returns the table as a plain string, so it can be passed to any function — not just print.

Usage

Header Row

By default, the first row is treated as a header and rendered with a separator below it. This can be toggled via the has_header_row property:

my_table.has_header_row = False

Title

A title can be added above the table with set_title(). It defaults to centre justification:

my_table.set_title("My Title")

To remove the title, call clear_title().

Justification

By default, all cells are left-justified. Justification can be set at four levels of granularity — each level overrides any previously set justification for the affected cells. The Justification enum must be imported alongside PrintTable.

Table-wide

from table import PrintTable, Justification

my_table.set_table_justification(Justification.CENTRE)

Row

my_table.set_row_justification(0, Justification.LEFT)

Column

my_table.set_column_justification(0, Justification.RIGHT)

Cell

my_table.set_cell_justification(1, 1, Justification.LEFT)

Justification for the title can also be set independently:

my_table.set_title_justification(Justification.LEFT)

License

MIT