[parted-devel] tab and space, part 2 - Means

[Håkon Løvdal]

The key factor to success is to differentiate between
INDENTATION and ALIGNMENT.

I
  N               A
    D             L
      E           I
        N         G
          T       N
        A         M
      T           E
    I             N
  O               T
N

If tab is used for alignment the readability is ruined for
those using a different tab width. If space is used for
indentation the readability is ruined for those having a
different tab with preference.

With indentation/alignment done properly we will have a
win-win situation for everyone. By only using tabulator for
indentation and only space for alignment, this is achieved.

So this is really simple to follow:
	indentation - always tab
	alignment - always space

As you might have noticed, I have not revealed anything
about my own personal preference in how much I prefer the
indentation width to be -- because it does not matter.

By proper usage of tab for indentation, the displayed tab
width becomes a local editor setting that affects other
people just as little as the background colour.


BR Håkon Løvdal

PS
Improper usage of tab is extremely simple to detected with
"sed -n '/^[^\t]\+\t/p'" or similar.