Tabs (was Re: OT: This Swift thing)

[Terry Reedy]

On 6/5/2014 4:39 AM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> On Wed, 04 Jun 2014 22:43:05 -0400, Terry Reedy wrote:
>
>> Many mail readers treat \t as a null char since it actually has no
>> standard translation into screen space.

No *single* standard.

> I challenge that assertion. There are two standard translations into
> screen space: jump to the next multiple of 8 spaces, or 1 space.

You forgot the other tab standards. In the US, the default tab stops are 
at 1/2 inch intervals, which is 5 or 6 chars for fixed 10 or 12 pitch 
fonts. Most email is not code from programmers and their bizarre (to a 
non-programmer) and dis-functional choice (sometimes) of 8 spaces.

> Treating \t as a single space would be pathetic but standard. Treating it
> as (up to) 8 spaces would be more useful, and standard. Rendering it as a
> picture of a banana dancing on the ceiling would be silly and non-
> standard. Not rendering it at all is even more stupid and less justified.

<\t> would be better than nothing. Let us see what Thunderbird does 
*now*. Maybe complaints prompted a change. Or maybe some clients eat 
tabs upon sending.

     4 spaces
         8 spaces
	tab, which displays as 8 spaces on input
		2 tabs

Regardless of what shows, there is still no configuration option.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy