4 Mar
2021
4 Mar
'21
7:33 p.m.
In my first days as a UNIX user (mid 70's), operating at 110 baud,
mechanical tabs were much faster than multiple spaces. And with
now-laughably small disks, saving space in files was a consideration, too.
Neither should matter now, but early training can be difficult to overcome.
I find it easier to read code when statements aren't split across
multiple lines (and therefore sometimes across pages). So I'm now inclined
to favor smaller tab-stops.
On Thu, Mar 4, 2021 at 11:53 AM Will Senn <will.senn(a)gmail.com> wrote:
OK. So, I've been trying to decide (for the last
time, I swear) whether to
use tabs or spaces in my code... I did a quick pulse-check on the state of
argument and it appears to be alive and well in 2021. My question for y'all
is, was there a preference in the very early days or not? I saw an article
talking about the 20 year feud, but that's not my recollection. In 1994,
nobody agreed on this, but I'm sure it predates my entree into the field.
I'm thinking the history of entab and detab are somehow related, but I've
been wrong on these sorts of thoughts before. What say you?
Will