prettytable

library3.18.0pypypi✓ verified 10d ago

PrettyTable is a Python library for easily displaying tabular data in a visually appealing ASCII table format. It supports various output formats including ASCII, HTML, CSV, JSON, LaTeX, and MediaWiki. The library is actively maintained with regular releases, currently at version 3.17.0.

serialization data

pip install prettytable

github ↗package ↗homepage ↗changelog ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · PRETTYTABLE

prettytable

serializationpythonv3.18.0

Install

1.8s avg

Import

18ms

Disk

21MB

Pass rate

10/ 10

Env Coverage10 / 10

glibc

3.9–3.13

musl

3.9–3.13

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v3.18.0 · pip install

no network on importno background threads

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

py 3.10–3.95 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 0.0s · import 0.020s · 25.1MB

glibc

py 3.10–3.95 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 1.8s · import 0.016s · 26MB

21MB installed

● package 21MB

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

PrettyTable

✓ from prettytable import PrettyTable

ColorTable

✓ from prettytable.colortable import ColorTable

Use ColorTable for ANSI color support.

TableStyle

✓ from prettytable import TableStyle

Also HRuleStyle, VRuleStyle for granular styling enums.

Initialize a PrettyTable, define column headers using `field_names`, add data row by row with `add_row`, and then print the table. Customization for alignment and built-in styles is also demonstrated.

from prettytable import PrettyTable table = PrettyTable() table.field_names = ["City name", "Area", "Population"] table.add_row(["Adelaide", 1295, 1158259]) table.add_row(["Brisbane", 5905, 1857594]) table.add_row(["Sydney", 2058, 4336374]) print(table) # Example with alignment and style table.align["City name"] = "l" table.align["Population"] = "r" # To use custom styles, import TableStyle from prettytable import TableStyle table.set_style(TableStyle.MARKDOWN) print(table)

Debug

Known issues

breakingPrettyTable 3.17.0 dropped support for Python 3.9. Users on Python 3.9 or older should use an earlier version of PrettyTable (e.g., 3.16.0 or below) or upgrade their Python interpreter.

fix

Upgrade Python to 3.10+ or pin `prettytable<3.17.0`.

affects: >=3.17.0

deprecatedThe direct constants `hrule` and `tableStyle` were deprecated in version 3.12.0. Use the corresponding enum values from `HRuleStyle`, `VRuleStyle`, and `TableStyle` instead for clarity and type safety.

fix

Replace `prettytable.FRAME` with `HRuleStyle.FRAME` or `TableStyle.DEFAULT` etc. as appropriate.

affects: >=3.12.0

gotcha`ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'prettytable'` is a common issue, often caused by installing `prettytable` in a different Python environment (e.g., virtual environment) than the one your IDE or script is using.

fix

Ensure `pip install prettytable` is run in the *same* Python environment where your script is executed. Verify the active Python interpreter in your IDE.

affects: All versions

gotchaPrior to 3.15.1, `add_rows()` could raise an `IndexError` if provided with an empty list that was not handled gracefully.

fix

Upgrade to `prettytable>=3.15.1` or ensure the list passed to `add_rows()` is not empty before calling.

affects: <3.15.1

gotchaIn versions prior to 3.14.0, specifying `sortby` directly at class declaration might not have been correctly applied, requiring it to be set after instantiation or via `get_string()` arguments.

fix

Upgrade to `prettytable>=3.14.0` or set `sortby` explicitly on the table instance (`table.sortby = "Column"`) after initialization or when calling `get_string()`.

affects: <3.14.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'prettytable'

The 'prettytable' package is not installed in the Python environment where the script is being executed.

fix

pip install prettytable

AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'PrettyTable'

A local Python file named 'prettytable.py' exists in the same directory as your script, shadowing the installed 'prettytable' library and preventing the correct module from being imported.

fix

Rename your local file from 'prettytable.py' to something else (e.g., 'my_table_script.py') and delete any associated '.pyc' files.

TypeError: PrettyTable.add_row() takes 2 positional arguments but X were given

The 'add_row()' method expects a single iterable (like a list or tuple) containing all the values for the row as its argument, but individual values are being passed as separate arguments.

fix

Pass a list or tuple of values to 'add_row()', for example: `table.add_row([value1, value2, value3])`.

AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'set_field_names'

The 'set_field_names()' method was deprecated and removed in PrettyTable version 0.6. Field names are now set directly via the 'field_names' attribute.

fix

Instead of `table.set_field_names(['Header 1', 'Header 2'])`, use `table.field_names = ['Header 1', 'Header 2']`.

Upgrade

Version history

3.18.0latest on PyPI · released Jun 22, 2026

Audit

Dependencies

wcwidthrequiredUsed for correct width calculation of wide characters in ASCII tables.

Agent activity

20 hits · last 30 days

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