rst_table.py

from __future__ import print_function
import sys

import textwrap


def format_heading(text, style="-"):
    return "{0}\n{1}\n".format(text, style * len(text))

def format_table(names, descriptions, style="=", func_heading="Function ",
                 desc_heading="Description", max_desc_len=68, sp="  "):
    max_name = max(len(func_heading), max(len(name) for name in names))
    max_desc = min(max(len(desc_heading), max(len(desc) for desc in descriptions)),
                   max_desc_len)

    def _format_item(name, desc):
        desc_lines = textwrap.wrap(desc, max_desc_len)
        name_lines = [name] + [""] * (len(desc_lines) - 1)
        ret = ""
        for nl, dl in zip(name_lines, desc_lines):
            ret += "{0}{1}{2}{3}\n".format(nl, " " * (max_name - len(nl)), sp, dl)
        return ret

    ret = "{0}{1}{2}\n".format(style * max_name, sp, style * max_desc)
    ret += _format_item(func_heading, desc_heading)
    ret += "{0}{1}{2}\n".format(style * max_name, sp, style * max_desc)
    for name, desc in zip(names, descriptions):
        ret += _format_item(name, desc)
    ret += "{0}{1}{2}\n".format(style * max_name, sp, style * max_desc)
    return ret


def main():
    table_dat = [("name A", "Some really long and unwieldy description that "
                            "just rambles on"),
                 ("name B", "Some more managable description")]
    names = [d[0] for d in table_dat]
    descriptions = [d[1] for d in table_dat]
    print(format_table(names, descriptions, max_desc_len=52))
    return 0

if __name__ == "__main__":
    sys.exit(main())