Who are the "spacists"?

[Gary Herron]

On 03/18/2017 06:46 AM, Mikhail V wrote:
> On 18 March 2017 at 03:09, Joel Goldstick <joel.goldstick at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, Mar 17, 2017 at 8:52 PM, Mikhail V <mikhailwas at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> So Python supports both spaces and tabs for indentation.
>>>
>>> I just wonder, why not forbid spaces in the beginning of lines?
>>> How would one come to the idea to use spaces for indentation at all?
>>>
>>> Space is not even a control/format character, but a word separator.
>>> And when editors will be proportional font based, indenting with
>>> spaces will not make *any* sense so they are just annoyance.
>>> Neither makes it sense in general case of text editing.
>>> I think it would be a salvation to forbid spaces for indentation,
>>> did such attemps take place?
>> This is not a useful conversation.  It has been had over and over in
>> the past.  Some people like tabs, some like spaces.  In python you can
>> use either, but you must stick to one or the other
>>
> Not to judge, but usually such opinions come from determined
> spasists. And "stick to one or the other" is exactly what would make
> life easier, but in literal sense of global preference.
>
> On 18 March 2017 at 05:02, Ben Finney <ben+python at benfinney.id.au> wrote:
>> Mikhail V <mikhailwas at gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> I just wonder, why not forbid spaces in the beginning of lines?
>> Because that would make countless lines of existing Python code illegal.
> Yes, yes. And it is of course so hard to clean up spaces in existing code.

As a mater of fact, and despite the snark, that is true.  A quick count 
finds 46,209 .py files on my computer, spread across the OS, installed 
packages, and my own work.  I would strongly resist anything that needs 
that much re-installation and personal attention.


-- 
Dr. Gary Herron
Professor of Computer Science
DigiPen Institute of Technology
(425) 895-4418