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Deprecate tabs for indenting (was Re: Indenting with tabs vs spaces)

Chris Spencer clspence at one.net
Tue Dec 4 16:01:08 EST 2001 
On Tue, 04 Dec 2001 18:18:42 -0000, Steve Lamb <grey at despair.dmiyu.org> wrote:
>On 4 Dec 2001 11:48:17 -0600, Chris Spencer <clspence at one.net> wrote:
>> 	When we standardized on the "tabber" method, everything just magically
>>lined up in the editor.  The spacers defined their tabs to be 2 or 3 spaces
>>in width so it was comfortable to look at (I choose 8 spaces of width), but
>>all of the code looked the SAME instead of the crazy mixture we had before.
>
>    Which would have happened if you standardized on a number of spaces for
>indentation.

	Some people don't WANT to look at 8 spaces for an indent.  Or 2 or 3.
With the tab convention, you can set your tab width to be whatever you want, so
people who like looking at 8 space widths can do that, and people who like 2
space widths can do that too.
	The point you seem to miss is that not everyone has the same ideas or
comfort levels with different indentation conventions.  With tabbing, you don't
have to worry about it.  Just set it to whatever you like.

>> 	Maybe if you only code for yourself you can have total uniformity of
>> coding style amongst all of your projects.  When you're dealing with several
>> people on a development project, that "tabber" convention is absolutely "the
>> Right Thing(tm)".
>
>    Except in the example, which is not uncommon.  In fact a tabber in this
>very thread promoted mixing tabs and spaces in response to it!

	I'm not him.  And I don't agree with the example in question.  I manage
quite nicely to format data structures without resorting to spaces.

>    Tabs are the worst possible thing and no large number of people rallying
>behind it will change it to a right.  All it proves is that like any other
>foolish notion you can fool quite a few people into believing it.  

	This is a straw man argument.  Like "so, have you beaten your wife
lately?"  I refuse to get into a competition involving name calling.
	Tabs work for me and for my development group.  They don't work for you.
Guess what, we both can do our own thing.  The only difference between us is
that you want to force me to your way of thinking.  I simply don't care what you
think.  You can use spaces to your heart's content and I won't mind.  I'm not
the one forcing others to abide by my way of thinking.  Such totalitarian edicts
will only serve to drive people away from Python.
	I think you've got way too much of your ego involved in this debate.

>
>    The difference is while all the tabbers are whining on the side of
>"preference" I'm pointing out very real logistical problems which has nothing
>to do with preference.  Preference takes a back seat.  When you stop ignoring
>that you'll come to understand the problem.
> 
	I see, preference doesn't matter as long as the convention matches YOUR
preference.  To hell with everyone else, right?
	Just because you like to work a certain way does not mean that you have
become God and will decree that your *preference* is the only way to do things.
Step back from your ego.

Chris.
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