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Strings & text

Format, split, join, parse, and clean text — everyday Python string patterns.

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Strings & text easy

How to Align Text in Two Columns with ljust in Python

Format pairs of strings into two aligned columns using ljust padding.

string-formatting ljust alignment
Python 
items = [
    ("apple", "red"),
    ("banana", "yellow"),
    ("cherry", "dark red"),
    ("date", "brown")
]

col1_width = max(len(name) for name, _ in items) + 2

for name, color in items:
    print(name.ljust(col1_width) + color)
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This page collects strings & text snippets — short, copy-ready Python you can paste into our free online IDE and run without installing anything. Each sample includes a plain-English explanation and the full source code.

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Samples are quick reference — one concept per page. For step-by-step teaching, use our Python tutorials. To test yourself, try quizzes or coding challenges. Clean up style with the Python formatter.

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