Re: tabs vs. spaces in source code

[Peter Chubb]

>>>>> "Carl" == Carl Sorensen <address@hidden> writes:

Carl> On 7/25/09 10:58 AM, "Mark Polesky" <address@hidden>
Carl> wrote:

>> 
>> 
>> ...tabs in the source code...
>> 
>> Werner Lemberg wrote:
>>> I dislike them, too, but there are many editors which handle them
>>> just fine.  I don't see a problem here.
>> But would you be *opposed* to a strict no-tab rule?
>> 
>> Carl Sorensen wrote:
>>> The last communication we had about it, Han-Wen was conditionally
>>> in favor and Jan was opposed.
>> Are you sure? What do mean by "conditionally"?
>> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2009-04/msg00103.html
>> 
>> And it looks like Jan was also okay with it:
>> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-devel/2009-04/msg00104.html

Carl> No, Jan was not in favor of it unless it became a standard for
Carl> GNU coding.  Hence the comment on "first making it a standard"
Carl> (i.e., a GNU standard) and "sending a patch to emacs-devel".

Carl> The current standard is to let tabs and spaces be handled as
Carl> emacs handles them.

>> Does anyone have a script to automate such a process across
>> multiple files? I'm not too clever with such things (I don't know
>> python either). The best I can do is this (using jEdit):

There's a standard Unix cpmmand, `expand' that converts tabs to
spaces.

Personally I prefer the One True Brace Style (tabs everywhere!)  but
it's really up to the core coders as to what they mandate.  If you
*do* decide to mandate no tabs, then you should provide an Emacs `C'
style that implements what you want, and aa VIM one, etc., etc.  Most
of these auto-indent C/C++ using tabs.
--
Dr Peter Chubb  http://www.gelato.unsw.edu.au  peterc AT gelato.unsw.edu.au
http://www.ertos.nicta.com.au           ERTOS within National ICT Australia