Tabs versus Spaces in Source Code

[Eli Gottlieb]

Actually, spaces are better for indenting code.  The exact amount of 
space taken up by one space character will always (or at least tend to 
be) the same, while every combination of keyboard driver, operating 
system, text editor, content/file format, and character encoding all 
change precisely what the tab key does.

There's no use in typing "tab" for indentation when my text editor will 
simply convert it to three spaces, or worse, autoindent and mix tabs 
with spaces so that I have no idea how many actual whitespace characters 
of what kinds are really taking up all that whitespace.  I admit it 
doesn't usually matter, but then you go back to try and make your code 
prettier and find yourself asking "WTF?"

Undoubtedly adding the second spark to the holy war,
Eli

-- 
The science of economics is the cleverest proof of free will yet 
constructed.