Re: [cowiki-dev] Tabs vs spaces -- what's the downside?

You can also configure every editor to display tabs as any number of 
character spaces.  I would really hope that you're not using any of the 
exceptions that I know of!

Hakan Kuecuekyilmaz wrote:

>Quoting Sy <[email protected]>:
>
>  
>
>>I have heard some strong opinions on using spaces instead of tabs. 
>>I've never understood this, because I've always assumed that everyone
>>can use tabs and configure them neatly.
>>
>>What are the disadvantages of using tabs?
>>    
>>
>
>Because every application displays tabs with different width. Say vi with 4
>spaces and emacs with 8. Some other configuration with 5. So you have never a
>predictable layout of your code. Therefore every guide for coding standards
>prefers "space instead of tabs".
>
>  
>
>>Are there common applications which cannot display tabs properly?
>>    
>>
>No application that I am aware of.
>
>
>  
>
>>Are there cases where one cannot type the tab character?
>>    
>>
>Thats not the point. The point is the display of the tabs.
>
>  
>
>>Are there common tools which cannot be customized to make a tab
>>display as 'x' characters of whitespace?
>>    
>>
>
>vi, emacs, and Eclipse have a config-switch which says "use space instead of
>tabs". I am using emacs, every time I hit "tab" it inserts 4 spaces for me.
>
>  
>
>>I honestly don't understand using spaces, because .. it's extra typing.  =)
>>    
>>
>
>Configure your favorite editor to replace the tabs with the right number of
>spaces :)
>
>  
>
>>I ask this because I'm just starting to learn a little bit of
>>programming, and I'd like to learn more about common practices like
>>tabs vs spaces.
>>    
>>
>
>I hope I could help you.
>  
>