How can I fill out a Python string with spaces?

Sprucing Up Strings with F-Strings

Starting from Python 3.6, the f-string formatting offers a more editable and efficient approach:

# Python is serving drinks 🍸. And it's all about your alignment preferences.
name = "Alice"
f"{name:<10}"  # 'Alice     ', left aligned - she appears to be left-handed.
f"{name:>10}"  # '     Alice', right aligned - now she switches the hands.
f"{name:^10}"  # '  Alice   ', centered - finally, a balanced approach.
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The Grandeur of .format() Method

Want to dive back to the classics? The .format() method, since Python 2.6, has been providing similar customizations.

# The three musketeers of alignment: Left, Right, Center. Take your pick.
"{}".format("Alice").ljust(10)  # 'Alice     ', prefers left 
"{}".format("Alice").rjust(10)  # '     Alice', leans right
"{}".format("Alice").center(10) # '  Alice   ',wise middle path
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The Scoop on Format Specification Mini-Language

The format specification mini-language offers more control over padding:

# Specified field width and different alignments. A concert 🎸, with 'Hello' playing in different stages.
"{:<10}".format("Hello")  # 'Hello     ' , on the left stage
"{:>10}".format("Hello")  # '     Hello', shifted to the right stage
"{:^10}".format("Hello")  # '  Hello   ' , voila, dead centre stage
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You can even choose your own padding character:

# Like underscore better than space? Here you go! 🎁
"{:_<10}".format("Info")  # 'Info______': Info with underscore bodyguards.
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Tangling with the Punctuation: %

The good old % formatting has its charm with simplicity:

# The ten percent club! Note: It's all about spacing and nothing to do with tax rates. 😜
"%-10s" % "Goodbye"  # 'Goodbye   ', equivalent of str.ljust(10)
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Dynamic Padding with Nested Fields

Keep it dynamic! With the nested fields, you can setup padding amounts dynamically:

# The 'Nested' can adjust to any width space, just like a cat curling up on different couch sizes. 🐈
width = 15
f"{'Nested':{width}}"  # Fills the rest of the space with spaces. Pretty cozy, right?
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String Pitfalls: To Infinity and Beyond!

Remember to avoid these common pitfalls when string padding:

• Truncation may occur if the specified width is less than string length.
• Console or file outputs may face alignment issues.
• Different environments or fonts can cause inconsistent results.