Comments for Why shouldn't I use TAB characters in my source files?

Comment from Zequez on 2011-08-19

2011-08-20T03:46:26Z

Personally I prefer TAB indentation, and then space indentation when it comes to alignment of parameters or something like that. Everything done automagically by my IDE ^^

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Comment from Dominic Watson on 2011-06-16

2011-06-16T09:08:34Z

For me, the largest benefit to using tabs is the very quick ability to shift spacing forward and back. When you have the tab key set to insert *spaces*, shifting code forward is still a simple, single tab key hit; shifting code back, however, is x backspace keys. This may sound trivial, but when you are coding day in day out, that is a big difference.

Solutions to some of the problems:

* As a team, define how tab should be used in everyone's editors. Ensure everyone is using the same tab settings (this should be done whether spaces or tabs are demanded)
* Even with above, when spaces absolutely must be used. Have a tool in your editor to convert spaces to tabs (for people who don't like typing) and have a tool in your version control system to ensure tabs are converted to spaces before committing.
* Alternatively, have shift-tab set to remove x-spaces when you have tab set to insert x-spaces

My tuppence

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A comment on: Why shouldn't I use TAB characters in my source files?

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Comment from Harry Fluks on 2010-08-12

2010-08-12T11:49:38Z

One problem with using TABs which was not mentioned here yet: people tend to intermix TABs and spaces. With the result that a text file is only really readable if the TAB setting of the reader is exactly the same as that of the writer...

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A comment on: Why shouldn't I use TAB characters in my source files?

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Comment from John T. Vonachen on 2008-03-14

2008-03-14T17:08:30Z

Yea tabs. But tabs are really just the beginning. What is needed is, for instance, an IDE that stores the code in some normalized form. It could even store it minified or compressed and encrypted. When you open it, it formats the code with what I call a "Parsing Beautifier". In other words a beautifier that does not just use patterns but has the same understanding of the code as a compiler would. Each person who looks at the code can fine tune the PB themselves and see the code in whatever way makes the most sense to them. Agree, dissagree, suggestions?

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A comment on: Why shouldn't I use TAB characters in my source files?

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Comment from Gary on 2006-07-06

2006-07-06T13:03:49Z

Bah! You are the devil! The entire point of using tab is that people can chose how to display it - say a team member chooses to use four spaces, when I prefer just two - I'm stuffed and his code looks alien.

If we were to use the tab key, he can set it at four characters, I set it at two and we are both happy as hamsters!

Go tab!

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A comment on: Why shouldn't I use TAB characters in my source files?

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Comment from karina on 2006-04-25

2006-04-25T21:11:42Z

we should't use TAB characters because most pepole i know don't know how it works even i don't know what it means so please rember these comment and reply soon from karina robinson

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A comment on: Why shouldn't I use TAB characters in my source files?

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Comment from Leo A. Notenboom on 2006-03-30

2006-03-30T17:21:53Z

D'oh. Thank you. I've corrected the article. Had LF on the brain, or something.

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A comment on: Why shouldn't I use TAB characters in my source files?

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Comment from Ken on 2006-03-30

2006-03-30T15:48:45Z

"The tab ASCII character, hexadecimal value 0x0a, decimal value 10, probably dates back to the days of the teletype."

I assume you mean 0x09 (decimal 9) in the above.

(Note that my parents had an IBM Selectric typewriter that allowed user-settable tab stops. The default, of course, was every 8 columns.)

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A comment on: Why shouldn't I use TAB characters in my source files?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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