How to Right-Align Coordinates in a Text File Efficiently in Python?

Format Output String for Right Alignment

When processing data in a text file that contains x, y, and z coordinates, aligning these coordinates right within each column enhances readability and consistency. While splitting each line into three items using the split() method, the need arises to write the coordinates back into a new text file with proper alignment.

The conventional approach of manually concatenating strings for each line is not optimal. Instead, Python offers a more efficient solution using either the new str.format syntax or the older % syntax for manipulating and aligning output strings.

Using the str.format Syntax

The str.format syntax provides a concise and clear way to format output strings. With this syntax, the following code snippet achieves right alignment for each column:

line_new = '{:>12}  {:>12}  {:>12}'.format(word[0], word[1], word[2])

In this example, the >> format specifies right alignment, while the 12 value denotes the width of each column.

Using the % Syntax

For older versions of Python that do not support the str.format syntax, the % syntax offers an alternative:

line_new = '%12s  %12s  %12s' % (word[0], word[1], word[2])

Similar to the str.format syntax, the s format string specifies right alignment and a column width of 12 characters.

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