salt's official solution to codejam 21

make_table.py

def _make_row(separators, entries):
    """A string representation of a single row in a table.
    """
    left, middle, right = separators
    return f'{left}{middle.join(entries)}{right}'

CENTERED = ' {:^{width}} '
LEFT_ALIGNED = ' {:<{width}} '

def make_table(rows, labels=None, centered=False):
    """A string representation of a pretty, aligned table.
    """
    # Transpose rows into columns.
    it = zip(labels, *rows) if labels else zip(*rows)
    columns = list(map(list, it))

    # Strings in each column made same length and centered if needed.
    formatting = CENTERED if centered else LEFT_ALIGNED

    for i, column in enumerate(columns):
        column_width = max(map(len, column))
        columns[i] = [formatting.format(item, width=column_width) for item in column]

    rows = [_make_row('│││', row) for row in zip(*columns)]  # Transpose columns to rows again and join the entries.

    horizontals = tuple('─' * len(column[0]) for column in columns)  # Horizontal sections for border rows.

    top_border = _make_row('┌┬┐', horizontals)
    rows.insert(0, top_border)

    if labels:
        label_border_bottom = _make_row('├┼┤', horizontals)
        rows.insert(2, label_border_bottom)

    bottom_border = _make_row('└┴┘', horizontals)
    rows.append(bottom_border)

    return '\n'.join(rows)