Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncr-sd!serene!rfarris
From: rfarris@serene.UUCP (Rick Farris)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Imposed indentation standards don't work
Summary: Using tabs isn't the answer
Message-ID: <238@serene.UUCP>
Date: 29 Dec 88 05:40:11 GMT
References: <3229@ingr.uucp> <253@athertn.atherton.com> <9166@smoke.brl.mil> <eWLGd#1tHJD6=eric@snark.UUCP> <WJC.88Dec27163645@ho5cad.ho5ca
Reply-To: rfarris@serene.uu.net (Rick Farris)
Organization: RF Engineering, Del Mar, California
Lines: 25

In article <WJC.88Dec27163645@ho5cad.ho5cad.ATT.COM> ho5cad!wjc writes:

> Given the chance, I always object to indents termed in numbers of
> spaces.  If you had said "with 1-tab indent", I would have
> internalized that as "my favorite number of spaces per tab when I
> look at code".

I've seen this argument come up several times now, and no one else
has answered it, so, here goes:

This won't work.  Look at this example:

    if (foo == bar) TABTABTABTAB/* Those are 3 space tabs, and this fits */

    if (foo == bar) T  A  B T  A  B T  A  B T  A  B/*These are 8 space tabs, and this doesn't fit worth a sh*t*/

It gets lots worse, of course, as you begin to nest.  Things just
don't line up.  That's why I've learned to live with 8 space tabs.


>    Bill Carpenter         att!ho5cad!wjc  or  attmail!bill


Rick Farris   RF Engineering  POB M  Del Mar, CA  92014   voice (619) 259-6793
rfarris@serene.cts.com     ...!uunet!serene!rfarris       serene.UUCP 259-7757