Tabs vs. Spaces

[Dennis Draheim]

in article <WJC.88Dec27163645 at ho5cad.ho5cad.ATT.COM>, wjc at ho5cad.ATT.COM (Bill Carpenter) says:
> In-reply-to: eric at snark.UUCP's message of 22 Dec 88 02:40:53 GMT
> 
> In article <eWLGd#1tHJD6=eric at snark.UUCP> eric at snark.UUCP (Eric S. Raymond) writes:
> 
>> In general, I code in what I think of as "BSD/Allman" style with 4-space
>> indent:

So do I.  That means there are at least 2 sane people in the world. :-)

> Given the chance, I always object to indents termed in numbers of
> spaces.  ...

Why?

> Are there still text/code tools thought to be reasonable which do not
> allow you to set your own sizes for tabs?

How about printers?  Especially SHARED printers?  Resetting tab stops is
a pain...it's easier to leave tab stops at 8 for those who use them.  So
if I want my code at 4-space indentation, I either have to 'expand -4' it
every time I print it, or use spaces.

> Even if we can't solve where the curly braces go, world peace, and
> other hard problems, let's at least write this one off.  Indenting is
> done with tabs, right?  Not spaces,

Wrong.  Tabs are inherently evil.  Some equipment doesn't understand them, 
and much of the rest either assumes they are set at 8 or requires much
initialization and reinitialization when shared between people whose ideas
of the "right" indentation level vary.

> and not combos of spaces and tabs, right?

I'll give you this one.  If there's anything worse than straight tabs,
its a combination of the two.  Guaranteed to drive anyone nuts in an editor.