columnar
A tool for printing data in a columnar format.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need simple terminal table formatting and can accept an abandoned package. The library is stable, has no known vulnerabilities, and low install friction. However, do not rely on it for active bug fixes or Python version updates—if you need ongoing maintenance or support for newer Python versions, consider alternatives that are actively maintained.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low friction to install.
- The package is abandoned (last release 2021-12-27, 1691 days ago) with no active maintenance, so expect no bug fixes or updates.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — Licensed under MIT (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute freely with minimal restrictions.
last release 2021-12-27 (1691 days)
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,630,072 downloads/mo, #3,705 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install columnar
from columnar import columnar
data = [['Name', 'Value'], ['Example', 'Data']]
headers = ['Column1', 'Column2']
table = columnar(data, headers)
print(table)- Whether the package handles very large datasets efficiently or has known performance limitations.
- Current state of compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.7, given the classifier lists only 3.7.
- Performance characteristics when working with datasets containing many rows or columns.
What it is and what it does
Columnar is a terminal table formatter that takes raw data (lists of lists) and produces aligned, bordered text output suitable for printing to the console. It handles column headers, text wrapping, wide characters (emojis, CJK text), and ANSI color codes. The library depends on toolz and wcwidth for utility functions and character width calculation.
You provide data, optional headers, and configuration like column selection, dropping empty columns, and pattern-based text transformation (for colorization or formatting). Columnar then sizes columns to fit the terminal width, wraps text as needed, and renders the table. It's designed for CLI tools, log output, and data inspection tasks where human-readable tabular display matters.
Use it for
- Display structured data in CLI tools with aligned columns and borders for readability.
- Format query results or data exports for terminal inspection with automatic column sizing.
- Apply regex-based patterns to colorize or format cell contents for visual emphasis.
- Filter and select specific columns from wide datasets using regex matching.
- Render tables with emoji and multi-byte characters while preserving alignment.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need simple terminal table formatting and can accept an abandoned package.
The library is stable, has no known vulnerabilities, and low install friction. However, do not rely on it for active bug fixes or Python version updates—if you need ongoing maintenance or support for newer Python versions, consider alternatives that are actively maintained.
Install
columnar on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction to install. The package is abandoned (last release 2021-12-27, 1691 days ago) with no active maintenance, so expect no bug fixes or updates.
License in practice
Licensed under MIT (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute freely with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install columnar
from columnar import columnar
data = [['Name', 'Value'], ['Example', 'Data']]
headers = ['Column1', 'Column2']
table = columnar(data, headers)
print(table)Verify before relying
- Whether the package handles very large datasets efficiently or has known performance limitations.
- Current state of compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.7, given the classifier lists only 3.7.
- Performance characteristics when working with datasets containing many rows or columns.
Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packagestoolzwcwidth |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 1,691 days since the last release |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,630,072 / month, #3,705 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | License :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.7 |
Evidence: Columnar-1.4.1-py3-none-any.whl
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