[Tutor] Create a table by writing to a text file.

[David Craig]

Hi,
I have created a list of containing strings that represent distances 
between many different points and would like to display the results in a 
table.
I have been trying to write them to a text file but it is difficult to 
organise them into rows and columns with appropriate spacing to make it 
readable. I would like something like,

Stations   Station1         Station2
Station1       0.0            33.57654
Station2      33.57654       0.0

but get,

Stations Station1 Station2
Station1 0.0 33.57654
Station2 33.57654 0.0

I've tried adding spaces but to some of the values (i.e. '0.0            
') but this is very messy.
Is there a better way to do this?? My code is below.
Thanks
D


# Distance between stations

from dist import dist
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np


# Guralp GPS decimal coordinates.
# station = [lat, lon, alt]
UFAN = [55.2333142, -7.6770179, 78.3]
UCRUI = [54.9846137, -8.3771698, 75.8]
UGLEN = [54.7064869, -8.7406732, 42.4]
UEASK = [54.2894659, -8.9583439, 9.1]
UACH = [53.8758499, -9.9621948, 22.0]
ULET = [53.5519317, -9.9413447, 70.4]
UHAG = [52.9393892, -9.4344939, 22.7]
ULOOP = [52.5809163, -9.8456417, 10.4]
UBALF = [52.1625237, -10.4099873, 74.3]
ULAMB = [51.7653115, -10.1531573, 13.5]
USHE = [51.5536226, -9.7907148, 115.3]
UGALL = [51.529665, -8.9529546, 33.4]

names = ['UFAN', 'UCRUI', 'UGLEN', 'UEASK', 'UACH', 'ULET', 'UHAG', 
'ULOOP', 'UBALF', 'ULAMB', 'USHE', 'UGALL']
stations = [UFAN, UCRUI, UGLEN, UEASK, UACH, ULET, UHAG, ULOOP, UBALF, 
ULAMB, USHE, UGALL]

distance = [[]]*len(stations)


for i in range(0,len(stations)):
     #distance[i,0] = names[i]
     temp = []
     for j in range(0,len(stations)):
         temp.append(' 
'+str(dist(stations[i][0],stations[i][1],stations[j][0],stations[j][1])))
     distance[i] = temp

testFile = open('testFile.txt', 'a')
testFile.write('Stations       ')

for i in range(0,len(stations)):
     testFile.write(names[i]+'        ')
testFile.write('\n')

for i in range(0,len(stations)):
     testFile.write(names[i]+'      ')
     for j in range(0,len(stations)):
         testFile.write(distance[i][j]+'     ')
     testFile.write('\n')
testFile.close()