Larry Wall's comment on python...

[Alex Martelli]

Greg Ewing wrote:
        ...
>>>Using *tabs* only is the only way to get truly
>>>preference-independent indentation.
>>
>> ...unless other people use tools that do NOT let them change the
>> ways tabs are displayed, and that way is intolerably incompatible
>> with your use of tabs.
> 
> I agree there are good reasons to prefer spaces-only
> for code that will be transmitted or displayed by
> dumb software.

To put it differently: use tabs only if you ARE willing to
bet a very substantial amount that the source file in question
will NEVER be transmitted, displayed, nor otherwise processed
in any way, shape, or form, by software you consider "dumb"
(take it up with KDE KNode's maintainers whether their news
reader is "dumb"... I like it, though it doesn't show tabs:-).


> I was only pointing out that, whatever arguments there
> may be in favour of spaces-only, "it doesn't force the
> reader to view it the way you do" is not one of them!

I agree with you that this is a fact.  Only very smart
software would be able to display varying amount of
leading spaces in programmable ways, and software that
smart would no doubt be able to do anything with tabs too.


Alex