[OT] Auto code reformating / one coding style enforcment.

[Sean Kelly]

Walter Bright wrote:
> Regan Heath wrote:
>>
>> I suspect if you print this code, and the editor sends actual hard 
>> tabs to the printer they'll probably be 8 spaces wide.. but:
>> 1. who prints code?!?
> 
> I do. I also put code in html <pre>...</pre>, where tabs are 8. I put 
> code in emails, where tabs are 8. I print code on the console, where 
> tabs are 8. I send code to other operating systems, where tabs are 8.

Only by default.  The first thing I do when configuring an editor is 
change the tab width to 4.  8 chars is simply too wide IMO, even for 
paragraph indentation.

>> 2. the editor _should_ instead send your specified # of spaces instead 
>> of hard tabs.
>>
>> Problem #2 solved.
> 
> Send it to where? The disk file? Then there aren't tabs in it anymore.

Right.  But is that a problem?  I'll admit it's a tiny time-saver to be 
able to move through tab-filled regions with the cursor, but it's just 
as easy (and even faster) to jump between words with control keys.

But all this is really a matter of opinion... which I guess is the 
point?  I've always favored using spaces because it preserves 
readability regardless of one's opinion of what the correct tab width is.


Sean