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From: dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Text file tab utility
Message-ID: <8704010701.AA20834@cory.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Wed, 1-Apr-87 02:01:40 EST
Article-I.D.: cory.8704010701.AA20834
Posted: Wed Apr  1 02:01:40 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 4-Apr-87 04:12:17 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 48


>I think all editors should support settable tabs. The tabs should be stored
>as tabs in the file. I hate editors that changes what I type in, because I
>always end up in the situation of not being able to produce a file of
>exactly what I want. Vi does not commit that sin, aside from NULs, you
>can get anything into the file.
>
>If your printer doesn't support settable tabs, your print program should.
>If your print program doesn't, use "detab" or "expand" (they are also trivial
>to write).

	I disagree.  Editors such as VI, EMACS, ED, and DME writeout files
as normal text files, and thus there is no way for the printer driver to
know what tab size to use unless *you* tell it.. for each file.  I think
the only way one can avoid having to know what the tabsize should be for
a given files is to always use a standard tab size (I.E. 8) when reading and
writing files, and converting to whatever internal tabbing you prefer.  Then,
you could VI, EMACS, ED, or DME any arbitrary programmer's files without 
known which tab size he likes to use.

	To prevent misunderstanding, here is an example:

	person A uses a tab size of 7 inside his editor.  He has the following
	line IN THE EDITOR:

	<TAB><TAB>x

	He then writes the file to disk.  On disk, the tabs are 8, and the file
	looks like this:

	<TAB><6 spaces>x

	ANYBODY can then load that file into their own editor with their own
	personal tabbing... since in the load process the editor *knows* the
	tabs are always 8 on disk, and converts.  So person B likes tabs of 4.
	He loads person A's file and gets this:

	<TAB><TAB><TAB><2 spaces>x

	NOTE: The text file looks *exactly* the same whether you CAT it from
	disk, or EDIT it with your favorite tabbing.


	I personally use tabs of 4 in VI when I'm using UNIX systems, and I
find it a bi#$@ch to have to 'expand -4' 40 source files before sending them
to the printer.  

				-Matt