add ability to adjust column widths via CLI

ncompare/console.py

@@ -38,6 +38,14 @@ def _cli() -> argparse.Namespace:
         help="Include chunk sizes in the table that compares variables",
     )
 
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--column-widths",
+        nargs=3,
+        default=None,
+        type=int,
+        help="Width, in number of characters, of the three columns in the comparison report",
+    )
+
     return parser.parse_args()
 
 

ncompare/core.py

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ def compare(
     file_text: Union[str, Path] = "",
     file_csv: Union[str, Path] = "",
     file_xlsx: Union[str, Path] = "",
+    column_widths: Optional[tuple[int | str, int | str, int | str]] = None,
 ) -> None:
     """Compare the variables contained within two different NetCDF datasets.
 
@@ -58,6 +59,8 @@ def compare(
         filepath destination to save comparison output as comma-separated values (CSV).
     file_xlsx : str
         filepath destination to save comparison output as an Excel workbook.
+    column_widths : tuple[int | str, int | str, int | str], optional
+        the width in number of characters for each column of the comparison table.
 
     Returns
     -------
@@ -74,7 +77,8 @@ def compare(
         file_xlsx = ensure_valid_path_with_suffix(file_xlsx, ".xlsx")
 
     # The Outputter object is initialized to handle stdout and optional writing to a text file.
-    with Outputter(keep_print_history=True, no_color=no_color, text_file=file_text) as out:
+    with Outputter(keep_print_history=True, no_color=no_color, text_file=file_text,
+                   column_widths=column_widths) as out:
         out.print(f"File A: {nc_a}")
         out.print(f"File B: {nc_b}")
         out.side_by_side(' ', str(nc_a), str(nc_b))

ncompare/printing.py

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # pylint: disable=too-many-arguments
 import csv
 import re
+import warnings
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional, TextIO, Union
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ def __init__(
         keep_print_history: bool = False,
         no_color: bool = False,
         text_file: Optional[Union[str, Path]] = None,
+        column_widths: Optional[tuple[int | str, int | str, int | str]] = None
     ):
         """Set up the handling of printing and saving destinations.
 
@@ -53,6 +55,24 @@ def __init__(
         self._keep_print_history = keep_print_history
         self._line_history: list[list[str]] = []
 
+        # Assign column widths according to input, if
+        default_widths = [33, 48, 48]
+        if column_widths is not None:
+            assert len(column_widths) == 3
+
+            new_widths = default_widths
+            for idx, width in enumerate(column_widths):
+                if isinstance(width, str) and width.isdigit() and (int(width) > 0):
+                    # note: isdigit() ensures integer
+                    new_widths[idx] = int(width)
+                elif isinstance(width, int) and width > 0:
+                    new_widths[idx] = width
+                else:
+                    warnings.warn("Column-width input was not a positive integer. Reverting to default.")
+            self._column_widths = new_widths
+        else:
+            self._column_widths = tuple(default_widths)
+
         if no_color:
             # Replace colorized styles with blank strings.
             for k, _ in Fore.__dict__.items():
@@ -173,9 +193,15 @@ def side_by_side(self, str_a, str_b, str_c, dash_line=False, highlight_diff=Fals
             str_marker = ""
 
         if dash_line:
-            self.print(f" {extra_style_space}{str_a:>33} {str_b:->48} {str_c:->48}", colors=colors)
+            self.print(f" {extra_style_space}"
+                       f"{str_a:>{self._column_widths[0]}} "
+                       f"{str_b:->{self._column_widths[1]}} "
+                       f"{str_c:->{self._column_widths[2]}}", colors=colors)
         else:
-            self.print(f" {extra_style_space}{str_a:>33} {str_b:>48} {str_c:>48}", colors=colors)
+            self.print(f" {extra_style_space}"
+                       f"{str_a:>{self._column_widths[0]}} "
+                       f"{str_b:>{self._column_widths[1]}} "
+                       f"{str_c:>{self._column_widths[2]}}", colors=colors)
 
         self._add_to_history(str_a, str_b, str_c, str_marker)