Text alignment

text_alignment.py

def align(source, chars, mode):

    source = list(source)

    if len(source) == 0:
        return ''

    result = ''
    lineBuffer = [source[0]]
    lineLength = len(source[0])
    del source[0]

    for word in source:

        wordLength = len(word)
        
        if lineLength + wordLength + 1 <= chars:
            lineBuffer.append(word)
            lineLength += wordLength + 1 

        else:
            result += alignLine(lineBuffer, lineLength, chars, mode) + '\n'
            lineBuffer = [word]
            lineLength = wordLength

    return result + alignLine(lineBuffer, lineLength, chars, mode)

def alignLine(lineBuffer, lineLength, chars, mode):

    spaces = chars - lineLength

    if spaces <= 0 or mode == 'left':
        return ' '.join(lineBuffer)

    elif mode == 'center':
        return ' ' * ((chars - lineLength) / 2) + ' '.join(lineBuffer)

    elif mode == 'right':
        return ' ' * (chars - lineLength) + ' '.join(lineBuffer)

    else:

        result = lineBuffer[0]
        del lineBuffer[0]
        wordCount = len(lineBuffer)

        if wordCount == 0:
            return result
        
        freeCharCount = chars - lineLength
        space = ' ' * (1 + freeCharCount / wordCount)
        wideSpaceCount = freeCharCount % wordCount
        
        for word in lineBuffer:
            result += (' ' if wideSpaceCount > 0 else '') + space + word
            wideSpaceCount -= 1

        return result