this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2023
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Tabs are objectively better than spaces - gomakethings.com (gomakethings.com)
submitted 1 year ago by mac@programming.dev to c/programming@programming.dev
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[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You're confusing using tabs for indentation and spaces for alignment with using tabs and spaces for indentation. This means each line starts with tabs. Next you optionally have spaces for alignment with previous lines. Then you have content (like code or comments). Because you never have a tab following a space the alignment is never destroyed by adjusting how wide a tabstop is.

[–] zagaberoo@beehaw.org 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I am not, it's easy to find examples where tabs first then spaces breaks down.

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That example is using tabs for both indentation and alignment. The article you linked even says not using tabs for alignment is a solution.

  • Do not use tabs for alignment. In such case given example should look like:
fun foo x =
--->let val abs = if x > 0
--->              then x
--->              else -x
--->in
--->--->(* ... *)
--->end
[–] zagaberoo@beehaw.org 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, but keep reading. That strategy is a pain to maintain especially across editors.

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 1 points 1 year ago

Many styles are difficult to maintain, I'm not saying it is or isn't. I'm saying that using only spaces for alignment will not let your alignment get messed up with various tabstops settings.