Tab indentions on different platforms?

[Ben Finney]

Steven D'Aprano <steven at REMOVE.THIS.cybersource.com.au> writes:

> On Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:17:54 +1100, Ben Finney wrote:
> 
> > Torsten Bronger <bronger at physik.rwth-aachen.de> writes:
> > 
> >> [...] the width of a tab is nowhere defined. It really is a matter of
> >> the editor's settings.
> > 
> > RFC 678 "Standard File Formats"
> > <URL:http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc678.txt>:
> 
> Dated 19 December 1974.

So? The point is made: it's not true to say "the width of a tab is
nowhere defined". Everything I can find that is in any way close to a
"standard" defines the canonical width of an ASCII TAB as being eight
columns.

At least that one also acknowledges what we all know: that (even in
those times) actually enforcing that canonical width is difficult.

> I think it tells a lot about the spaces-only argument that it is
> based on the state of the art thirty years ago

I think it says a lot about this thread that you've devolved to taking
a side point I raise merely to disprove a distracting fallacy, and
claim that my core argument "is based on" it.

It says, at least, that it's time for me to stop contributing to this
thread, as it won't improve from here. My argument is made, earlier in
this thread, utterly unrelated to this "width of a TAB" point, and it
remains whether it convinces anyone who contributed or not.

-- 
 \        "Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas |
  `\    are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats."  |
_o__)                                                  -- Howard Aiken |
Ben Finney