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This is how I feel about it too. Tab users seem to be saying that, with their configuration of vs-code, tabs work fine. I like a format that works fine with cat

This is how I feel about it too. Tab users seem to be saying that, with their configuration of vs-code, tabs work fine. I like a format that works fine with cat, sed, grep, and all of the other unix utilities in my githooks. plus, I can run vim on a terminal on my phone. vs-code isn't there yet.

jimmaswell 9y ago
Exactly what problems are you having with grep/git and tabs? Grep has \s to match any whitespace character and git has settings to ignore whitespace.
- btilly 9y ago
  The default display for every tool is 8 spaces for a tabstop. If you don't want that, then each tool has to be configured separately, with a different method for each. Many require a command line option (which one differs by tool) that has to be typed in each time. Yes, you may not notice or care. But if you're told about why other people don't like it, and dismiss them with flippant answers, you're going to make those other people unhappy. Remember that the key to successful collaboration is to be strict in what you emit, and generous in what you receive. No matter how unreasonable you think the other is, in this case you're failing as well.
  - Sean1708 9y ago
    I don't see the difference between that and having to preprocess every command you run to change the number of spaces used per indentation level (a much harder task).
    - btilly 9y ago
      Why would you need to change the number of spaces to read it? You probably have a different preference and what you get, but your preference is unlikely to be material to legibility. Most people have settled with somewhere between 2-4 spaces, and a max of 80-120 character lines. I have an opinion on what I prefer in that range, but I'll live with a variety of stuff. And most others can as well.
      - Sean1708 9y ago
        > Why would you need to change the number of spaces to read it? Yes, why? You were the one that said: > If you don't want that, then each tool has to be configured separately, with a different method for each.
        btilly 9y ago
        There are two reasons for that. First of all how deeply you go when you align text isn't particularly important. But actually aligning it is super important for it to be readable. It is therefore hard to read a mix of tabs and spaces with the tabstop set wrong. Secondly while how deep isn't as important, research has found that comprehension drops outside of the range from 2-4 spaces. Therefore the 8 space default that every tool uses for tabs is suboptimal even if you consistently only have tabs everywhere. The fact that many tools across many environments with many users all have to get it right, and the standard default is bad, makes tabs worse for collaboration.

jimmaswell 9y ago

Exactly what problems are you having with grep/git and tabs? Grep has \s to match any whitespace character and git has settings to ignore whitespace.

btilly 9y ago
The default display for every tool is 8 spaces for a tabstop. If you don't want that, then each tool has to be configured separately, with a different method for each. Many require a command line option (which one differs by tool) that has to be typed in each time. Yes, you may not notice or care. But if you're told about why other people don't like it, and dismiss them with flippant answers, you're going to make those other people unhappy. Remember that the key to successful collaboration is to be strict in what you emit, and generous in what you receive. No matter how unreasonable you think the other is, in this case you're failing as well.
- Sean1708 9y ago
  I don't see the difference between that and having to preprocess every command you run to change the number of spaces used per indentation level (a much harder task).
  - btilly 9y ago
    Why would you need to change the number of spaces to read it? You probably have a different preference and what you get, but your preference is unlikely to be material to legibility. Most people have settled with somewhere between 2-4 spaces, and a max of 80-120 character lines. I have an opinion on what I prefer in that range, but I'll live with a variety of stuff. And most others can as well.
    - Sean1708 9y ago
      > Why would you need to change the number of spaces to read it? Yes, why? You were the one that said: > If you don't want that, then each tool has to be configured separately, with a different method for each.
      - btilly 9y ago
        There are two reasons for that. First of all how deeply you go when you align text isn't particularly important. But actually aligning it is super important for it to be readable. It is therefore hard to read a mix of tabs and spaces with the tabstop set wrong. Secondly while how deep isn't as important, research has found that comprehension drops outside of the range from 2-4 spaces. Therefore the 8 space default that every tool uses for tabs is suboptimal even if you consistently only have tabs everywhere. The fact that many tools across many environments with many users all have to get it right, and the standard default is bad, makes tabs worse for collaboration.