colvar_stdev.py

import numpy as np

with open('COLVAR', 'r') as fhand:
    file_lines = [line[:-1] for line in fhand if ((line.strip() != '') and (('#' in line) == False))] # remove the last character '\n'. **Remove empty lines**.
line_length=len(file_lines[0].split(' '))

mat_raw = [[(float(term)) for term in (line.split())] for line in file_lines if len(line.split(' '))==line_length ]
mat = np.array(mat_raw)
#mat=np.array(mat[:-2])
num_cols=np.shape(mat)[1]
# then you can do whatever you like. eg: first column
print(mat)
for i in range(num_cols-1):
    print (' col ' + str (i+1) +  ' max ' + str(np.max(mat[:,i+1])) +  ' min , ' + str(np.min(mat[:,i+1])) +  ' std ' + str(np.std(mat[:,i+1])) )
# reshape it to n by n matrix:
#res = first_col.reshape((n, n))