In Python, the str.center() method is used to center-align a string within a specified width, padding it with a specified character (space by default) on both sides. This method is useful for formatting strings in a way that they appear centered in a given space, which can be helpful for console output or text alignment in various applications.

Syntax

str.center(width, fillchar=' ')

• width: The total width of the resulting string after padding. If this value is less than the length of the original string, the original string is returned unchanged.
• fillchar (optional): The character to use for padding the string. This must be a single character. The default is a space (' ').

Example Usage

1. Basic usage with default padding (spaces):

text = "Hello"
result = text.center(10)
print(result)  # Output: "  Hello   "

2. Using a custom fill character:

text = "Hello"
result = text.center(10, '*')
print(result)  # Output: "**Hello***"

3. Width less than the original string:

If the specified width is less than the length of the original string, the original string is returned unchanged:

text = "Hello, World!"
result = text.center(5)
print(result)  # Output: "Hello, World!" (unchanged)

4. Centering with odd and even widths:

The center() method distributes the padding evenly. If the total width is odd, the extra space is added to the right:

text = "Hi"
result_odd = text.center(5)    # width is odd
result_even = text.center(6)   # width is even
print(result_odd)  # Output: " Hi "
print(result_even)  # Output: "  Hi  "

5. Empty string:

If an empty string is passed, the result will also be an empty string regardless of the specified width:

text = ""
result = text.center(10)
print(result)  # Output: "          " (10 spaces)

Summary

• Use str.center() to center-align a string within a specified width.
• It allows for customizable padding using a fill character, defaulting to a space if none is specified.
• If the specified width is less than the length of the string, the original string is returned without modification.
• This method is useful for formatting output in console applications or any scenario where text alignment is important.