print formatting in python

Question

I have a question: How can I print a character on a specific stdout column?

I know that:

print '{0} and {1}'.format('spam', 'eggs')

prints spam on the first column and eggs on the second one.

But I want to do this:

column = 3
...
print '{column}'.format('spam')

cheers.

• Katriel: SOmetimes when writing quick-and-dirty scripts I have been known to use .format(**locals()) (so I can refer to local variables inside the string).

Answer 1

You have two options to do it.

First option - pass it in parameter:

>>> print '{column}'.format(column='spam')
spam

Second option - unpack a dictionary (using **):

>>> print '{column}'.format(**{'column':'spam'})
spam

• dierre: I didn't know you could use aliases like that. Nice one.
• Tadeck: @rplnt: Giving links without annotations is not helpful, because you do not know whether link is useful to you until you click on it. But in fact, that link provides more examples of how to use .format() method of str objects.
• rplnt: @Tadeck I thought that the link was pretty self-explanatory (format-examples). But I'll be more careful in the future, thanks.
• Tadeck: @rplnt: Thanks. You can add explanations to links in the following way: [some explanation about Example.com](http://www.example.com/). Good luck.

Answer 2

You can do something like this but it's quite ugly.

column = 3
message = '{'+str(column)+'}'
print message.format(0,0,0,'spam')

• Academia: This, in fact, gives me an idea. Thanks a lot.