Python Pprint Module
The pprint module provides a capability to "pretty-print" arbitrary Python data structures in a form which can be used as input to the interpreter. It is especially useful for printing complex data structures like nested dictionaries or lists in a readable format.
Importing the Module
import pprintBasic Usage
pprint.pprint()
Prints the formatted representation of an object on sys.stdout.
import pprint
data = {
'name': 'John Doe',
'age': 30,
'address': {
'street': '123 Main St',
'city': 'New York',
'zip': '10001'
},
'hobbies': ['reading', 'cycling', 'hiking']
}
pprint.pprint(data)pprint.pformat()
Returns the formatted representation of an object as a string.
import pprint
formatted_string = pprint.pformat(data)
print(f"Formatted data:\n{formatted_string}")Customizing Output
You can customize the output using various parameters.
indent: Amount of indentation for each level.width: Desired maximum number of characters per line.depth: The number of levels to print.compact: If true, tries to fit as many items as possible on each line.
import pprint
stuff = ['a' * 10, 'b' * 10, 'c' * 10, 'd' * 10]
pp = pprint.PrettyPrinter(indent=4, width=40, compact=True)
pp.pprint(stuff)Handling Recursion
The pprint module handles recursive data structures correctly.
import pprint
a = [1, 2, 3]
a.append(a)
pprint.pprint(a)
# Output: [1, 2, 3, <Recursion on list with id=...>]