# columnify
[](https://travis-ci.org/timoxley/columnify)
Create text-based columns suitable for console output from objects or
arrays of objects.
Columns are automatically resized to fit the content of the largest
cell. Each cell will be padded with spaces to fill the available space
and ensure column contents are left-aligned.
Designed to [handle sensible wrapping in npm search results ](https://github.com/isaacs/npm/pull/2328 ).
`npm search` before & after integrating columnify:
## Installation & Update
```
$ npm install --save columnify@latest
```
## Usage
```javascript
var columnify = require('columnify')
var columns = columnify(data, options)
console.log(columns)
```
## Examples
### Columnify Objects
Objects are converted to a list of key/value pairs:
```javascript
var data = {
"commander@0.6.1": 1,
"minimatch@0.2.14": 3,
"mkdirp@0.3.5": 2,
"sigmund@1.0.0": 3
}
console.log(columnify(data))
```
#### Output:
```
KEY VALUE
commander@0.6.1 1
minimatch@0.2.14 3
mkdirp@0.3.5 2
sigmund@1.0.0 3
```
### Custom Column Names
```javascript
var data = {
"commander@0.6.1": 1,
"minimatch@0.2.14": 3,
"mkdirp@0.3.5": 2,
"sigmund@1.0.0": 3
}
console.log(columnify(data, {columns: ['MODULE', 'COUNT']}))
```
#### Output:
```
MODULE COUNT
commander@0.6.1 1
minimatch@0.2.14 3
mkdirp@0.3.5 2
sigmund@1.0.0 3
```
### Columnify Arrays of Objects
Column headings are extracted from the keys in supplied objects.
```javascript
var columnify = require('columnify')
var columns = columnify([{
name: 'mod1',
version: '0.0.1'
}, {
name: 'module2',
version: '0.2.0'
}])
console.log(columns)
```
#### Output:
```
NAME VERSION
mod1 0.0.1
module2 0.2.0
```
### Wrapping Column Cells
You can define the maximum width before wrapping for individual cells in
columns. Minimum width is also supported. Wrapping will happen at word
boundaries. Empty cells or those which do not fill the max/min width
will be padded with spaces.
```javascript
var columns = columnify([{
name: 'mod1',
description: 'some description which happens to be far larger than the max',
version: '0.0.1',
}, {
name: 'module-two',
description: 'another description larger than the max',
version: '0.2.0',
})
console.log(columns)
```
#### Output:
```
NAME DESCRIPTION VERSION
mod1 some description which happens 0.0.1
to be far larger than the max
module-two another description larger 0.2.0
than the max
```
### Truncating Column Cells
You can disable wrapping and instead truncate content at the maximum
column width. Truncation respects word boundaries. A truncation marker,
`…` will appear next to the last word in any truncated line.
```javascript
var columns = columnify(data, {
truncate: true,
config: {
description: {
maxWidth: 20
}
}
})
console.log(columns)
```
#### Output:
```
NAME DESCRIPTION VERSION
mod1 some description… 0.0.1
module-two another description… 0.2.0
```
### Filtering & Ordering Columns
By default, all properties are converted into columns, whether or not
they exist on every object or not.
To explicitly specify which columns to include, and in which order,
supply a "columns" or "include" array ("include" is just an alias).
```javascript
var data = [{
name: 'module1',
description: 'some description',
version: '0.0.1',
}, {
name: 'module2',
description: 'another description',
version: '0.2.0',
}]
var columns = columnify(data, {
columns: ['name', 'version'] // note description not included
})
console.log(columns)
```
#### Output:
```
NAME VERSION
module1 0.0.1
module2 0.2.0
```
## Other Configuration Options
### Align Right
```js
var data = {
"mocha@1.18.2": 1,
"commander@2.0.0": 1,
"debug@0.8.1": 1
}
columnify(data, {config: {value: {align: 'right'}}})
```
#### Output:
```
KEY VALUE
mocha@1.18.2 1
commander@2.0.0 1
debug@0.8.1 1
```
### Preserve existing newlines
By default, `columnify` sanitises text by replacing any occurance of 1 or more whitespace characters with a single space.
`columnify` can be configured to respect existing new line characters using the `preserveNewLines` option. Note this will still collapse all other whitespace.
```javascript
var data = [{
name: "glob@3.2.9",
paths: [
"node_modules/tap/node_modules/glob",
"node_modules/tape/node_modules/glob"
].join('\n')
}, {
name: "nopt@2.2.1",
paths: [
"node_modules/tap/node_modules/nopt"
]
}, {
name: "runforcover@0.0.2",
paths: "node_modules/tap/node_modules/runforcover"
}]
console.log(columnify(data, {preserveNewLines: true}))
```
#### Output:
```
NAME PATHS
glob@3.2.9 node_modules/tap/node_modules/glob
node_modules/tape/node_modules/glob
nopt@2.2.1 node_modules/tap/node_modules/nopt
runforcover@0.0.2 node_modules/tap/node_modules/runforcover
```
Compare this with output without `preserveNewLines` :
```javascript
console.log(columnify(data, {preserveNewLines: false}))
// or just
console.log(columnify(data))
```
```
NAME PATHS
glob@3.2.9 node_modules/tap/node_modules/glob node_modules/tape/node_modules/glob
nopt@2.2.1 node_modules/tap/node_modules/nopt
runforcover@0.0.2 node_modules/tap/node_modules/runforcover
```
### Custom Truncation Marker
You can change the truncation marker to something other than the default
`…` .
```javascript
var columns = columnify(data, {
truncate: true,
truncateMarker: '>',
widths: {
description: {
maxWidth: 20
}
}
})
console.log(columns)
```
#### Output:
```
NAME DESCRIPTION VERSION
mod1 some description> 0.0.1
module-two another description> 0.2.0
```
### Custom Column Splitter
If your columns need some bling, you can split columns with custom
characters.
```javascript
var columns = columnify(data, {
columnSplitter: ' | '
})
console.log(columns)
```
#### Output:
```
NAME | DESCRIPTION | VERSION
mod1 | some description which happens to be far larger than the max | 0.0.1
module-two | another description larger than the max | 0.2.0
```
## Multibyte Character Support
`columnify` uses [mycoboco/wcwidth.js ](https://github.com/mycoboco/wcwidth.js ) to calculate length of multibyte characters:
```javascript
var data = [{
name: 'module-one',
description: 'some description',
version: '0.0.1',
}, {
name: '这是一个很长的名字的模块',
description: '这真的是一个描述的内容这个描述很长',
version: "0.3.3"
}]
console.log(columnify(data))
```
#### Without multibyte handling:
i.e. before columnify added this feature
```
NAME DESCRIPTION VERSION
module-one some description 0.0.1
这是一个很长的名字的模块 这真的是一个描述的内容这个描述很长 0.3.3
```
#### With multibyte handling:
```
NAME DESCRIPTION VERSION
module-one some description 0.0.1
这是一个很长的名字的模块 这真的是一个描述的内容这个描述很长 0.3.3
```
## License
MIT
