Python lists to markdown table

pylist-to-markdown.py

def make_markdown_table(array):

    """ Input: Python list with rows of table as lists
               First element as header. 
        Output: String to put into a .md file 
        
    Ex Input: 
        [["Name", "Age", "Height"],
         ["Jake", 20, 5'10],
         ["Mary", 21, 5'7]] 
    """


    markdown = "\n" + str("| ")

    for e in array[0]:
        to_add = " " + str(e) + str(" |")
        markdown += to_add
    markdown += "\n"

    markdown += '|'
    for i in range(len(array[0])):
        markdown += str("-------------- | ")
    markdown += "\n"

    for entry in array[1:]:
        markdown += str("| ")
        for e in entry:
            to_add = str(e) + str(" | ")
            markdown += to_add
        markdown += "\n"

    return markdown + "\n"

Thanks for putting this out, saved me time and helped me automate a report for my job.

A more pythonic way making heavy use of f-strings would be something like

def make_markdown_table(array):
    """ the same input as above """

    nl = "\n"

    markdown = nl
    markdown += f"| {' | '.join(array[0])} |"

    markdown += nl
    markdown += f"| {' | '.join(['---']*len(array[0]))} |"

    markdown += nl
    for entry in array[1:]:
        markdown += f"| {' | '.join(entry)} |{nl}"

    return markdown

My take on it : https://gist.github.com/OsKaR31415/955b166f4a286ed427f667cb21d57bfd

It makes the table more readable (centers everything, aligns the columns), and it allows you to choose the markdown centering (the :--- syntax.

I also tried to make it as robust as possible to edge cases.

Having some implementation examples to use the above source code will be great. Thanks

def create_markdown_table(table):
    if not table or not table[0]:
        return "Empty table"

    # Remove the first row if it's empty
    if all(cell == "" or cell is None for cell in table[0]):
        table = table[1:]

    # Separate indentation from content in the first column
    processed_table = []
    for row in table:
        first_cell = str(row[0])
        indentation = len(first_cell) - len(first_cell.lstrip())
        processed_row = [" " * indentation + first_cell.strip()] + list(row[1:])
        processed_table.append(processed_row)

    # Determine the maximum width of each column
    col_widths = [
        max(len(str(cell)) if cell is not None else 0 for cell in col)
        for col in zip(*processed_table)
    ]

    # Create the header
    header = (
        "| "
        + " | ".join(
            str(cell).ljust(width)
            for cell, width in zip(processed_table[0], col_widths)
        )
        + " |"
    )

    # Create the separator
    separator = "| " + " | ".join("-" * width for width in col_widths) + " |"

    # Create the rows
    rows = []
    for row in processed_table[1:]:
        row_str = (
            "| "
            + " | ".join(
                str(cell).ljust(width)
                if i == 0
                else str(cell).rjust(width)
                if cell is not None
                else " " * width
                for i, (cell, width) in enumerate(zip(row, col_widths))
            )
            + " |"
        )
        rows.append(row_str)

    # Join all parts of the table
    markdown_table = "\n".join([header, separator] + rows)

    return markdown_table