[OT] Spaces/tabs (Was: simple display (from: GUI library for D))

[Jacob Carlborg]

On 2011-04-11 22:09, Nick Sabalausky wrote:
> "Jonathan M Davis"<jmdavisProg at gmx.com>  wrote in message
> news:mailman.3371.1302508910.4748.digitalmars-d at puremagic.com...
>>> Jonathan M Davis Wrote:
>>>> Personally, I think that it's _horrible_ to use tabs
>>>
>>> Why would one fear tabs?
>>
>> They change depending on your editor settings. Indenting gets screwed up
>> if
>> tabs and spaces are mixed. It's just plain annoying to have an indentation
>> of
>> multiple spaces which isn't actually multiple spaces.
>>
>> The biggest problem though is that it just totally screws with indentation
>> if
>> tabs and spaces are mixed and that invariably happens.
>>
>
> You're drawing a completely invalid conclusion from that, because it works
> the same both ways. If I have a bunch of code indented with spaces, all it
> takes is a few things to be indented with tabs instead to create the *exact
> same screwup*. You've chosen tabs as the villian completely arbitrarily.
>
> Also I find your argument that the mixup is significantly more likely when
> tabs are used for indentation to be extremely questionable. You admit
> yourself that you've rarely come across situations where tabs are the
> default. So how would you know? Based on that *one* piece of anecdotal
> evidence? And even that can be suspect, because if you were involved, we
> know you're accustomed to using spaces for indentation, so that could very
> well have been the reason for the mixup.
>
> I have worked with code that used spaces as indentation on various
> occasions, and I always did wind up accidentally sticking some tabs in
> there. So I know first hand that the idea of the mixups not happening with
> space-indentation is a load of crap. They're equally likely.
>
> And as far as needing to use spaces in code anyway: That's not remotely a
> problem. People know damn well the difference between a space and
> indentation. Fuck, if MS Word users can figure it out, so can programmers.
>
>> Tabs serve no useful purpose IMHO.
>>
>
> Well, IMO, using spaces for indentation serves no useful purpose. At least
> tabs actually *mean* alignment and indentation. Spaces don't and never have.
> Plus, what's the use of being able place the cursor at arbtrary points
> within the "4 spaces" (or 8 spaces, or whatever)? All it does is make me
> have to press left/right-arrow-key a whole hell of a lot more (which I
> really do find to be a PITA). And makes it easier to accidentally end up
> with a messed up indentation of +/- 1 space somewhere. Spaces for
> indentation is just a misuse and a kludge to force on each other the
> idiologies of how large indentation should be.

So true.

-- 
/Jacob Carlborg