[Python] specify number of spaces between pandas DataFrame columns when printing

When you print a pandas DataFrame, which calls DataFrame.to_string, it normally inserts a minimum of 2 spaces between the columns. For example, this code

import pandas as pd

df = pd.DataFrame( {
"c1" : ("a", "bb", "ccc", "dddd", "eeeeee"),
"c2" : (11, 22, 33, 44, 55),
"a3235235235": [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
} )
print(df)


outputs

c1 c2 a3235235235
0 a 11 1
1 bb 22 2
2 ccc 33 3
3 dddd 44 4
4 eeeeee 55 5


which has a minimum of 2 spaces between each column.

I am copying DataFarames printed on the console and pasting it into documents, and I have received feedback that it is hard to read: people would like more spaces between the columns.

Is there a standard way to do that?

I see no option in either DataFrame.to_string or pandas.set_option.

I have done a web search, and not found an answer. This question asks how to remove those 2 spaces, while this question asks why sometimes only 1 space is between columns instead of 2 (I also have seen this bug, hope someone answers that question).

My hack solution is to define a function that converts a DataFrame's columns to type str, and then prepends each element with a string of the specified number of spaces.

This code (added to the code above)

def prependSpacesToColumns(df: pd.DataFrame, n: int = 3):
spaces = ' ' * n

# ensure every column name has the leading spaces:
if isinstance(df.columns, pd.MultiIndex):
for i in range(df.columns.nlevels):
levelNew = [spaces + str(s) for s in df.columns.levels]
df.columns.set_levels(levelNew, level = i, inplace = True)
else:
df.columns = spaces + df.columns

# ensure every element has the leading spaces:
df = df.astype(str)
df = spaces + df

return df

dfSp = prependSpacesToColumns(df, 3)
print(dfSp)


outputs

c1 c2 a3235235235
0 a 11 1
1 bb 22 2
2 ccc 33 3
3 dddd 44 4
4 eeeeee 55 5


which is the desired effect.

But I think that pandas surely must have some builtin simple standard way to do this. Did I miss how?

Also, the solution needs to handle a DataFrame whose columns are a MultiIndex. To continue the code example, consider this modification:

idx = (("Outer", "Inner1"), ("Outer", "Inner2"), ("Outer", "a3235235235"))
df.columns = pd.MultiIndex.from_tuples(idx)

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