pptable.py

# From http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2007/09/04/pretty-printing-a-table-in-python/comment-page-1/
import locale
locale.setlocale(locale.LC_NUMERIC, "")

def format_num(num):
    """Format a number according to given places.
    Adds commas, etc. Will truncate floats into ints!"""

    try:
        inum = int(num)
        return locale.format("%.*f", (0, inum), True)

    except (ValueError, TypeError):
        return str(num)

def get_max_width(table, index):
    """Get the maximum width of the given column index"""

    return max([len(format_num(row[index])) for row in table])

def pprint_table(out, table):
    """Prints out a table of data, padded for alignment
    @param out: Output stream (file-like object)
    @param table: The table to print. A list of lists.
    Each row must have the same number of columns. """

    col_paddings = []

    for i in range(len(table[0])):
        col_paddings.append(get_max_width(table, i))

    for row in table:
        # left col
        print >> out, row[0].ljust(col_paddings[0] + 1),
        # rest of the cols
        for i in range(1, len(row)):
            col = format_num(row[i]).rjust(col_paddings[i] + 2)
            print >> out, col,
        print >> out