A python function to take a list of words and print them in two columns side by side

sidebyside.py

# I needed a way to print two columns of words based on a list and a number of spaces.
# I couldn't find an easy solution, so I made this function. Maybe it can be useful to someone.

from typing import List


def outputs(words: List[str], spaces: int) -> str:
    """
    Takes a list of words and returns two columns of words separated by spaces.

    Example: outputs([
        "mess",
        "lot",
        "address",
        "pardon",
        "selection",
        "estate",
        "meet",
        "deprive",
        "fairy",
        "bread",
        "book",
        "hurt",
        "area"
    ], 4)

    Returns the following string:

    mess         meet
    lot          deprive
    address      fairy
    pardon       bread
    selection    book
    estate       hurt
    area
    """

    def _get_spaces_number(max_length: int, word: str) -> int:
        return max_length + spaces - len(word)

    max_length = max(map(len, words))

    num_words = len(words)
    half = num_words // 2
    num_rest = num_words % 2

    left = words[:half]
    right = words[half : len(words) - num_rest]
    rest = words[len(words) - num_rest :]

    output = ""
    for left_word, right_word in zip(left, right):
        output += (
            left_word
            + " " * _get_spaces_number(max_length, left_word)
            + right_word
            + "\n"
        )

    for word in rest:
        output += word + "\n"

    return output