Avoid using tabs in source code

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Today I pulled the latest changes from the coreplot repository. While checking 
the differences I again saw a problem in the code, which I wanted to mention 
already before. I assume coreplot is set to use tabs in the source code by 
default. No idea what tab width is set in your IDE, probably 4 but it doesn't 
matter as you cannot assume that everybody shares the same tab settings in 
XCode.

However, this is a more general problem. In fact tabs in source code have 
always been a problem for decades, because their final layout depends on what 
settings the tool uses when it shows the files. Here's a good example for the 
mess tabs produce: http://www.pasteall.org/pic/29622. Another problem shows 
when I create patches, because my IDE is set to use spaces so all lines I touch 
insert spaces.

So my request is: please stop using tabs in the code and convert to spaces, 
which result in the same text layout in every text tool (be it vim, Textmate, 
XCode, OpenOffice, Araxis Merge or whatever). Additionally, set the number of 
spaces for indentation explicitly in every file (it's simple even for many 
files: select the CorePlot root node in XCode, select the Details tab, in the 
file list select all source files, open the info pane and set the indent width, 
which is then applied to all selected files). This is stored in the project 
settings and hence available for everybody opening the source code in XCode, 
which in turn helps keeping the formatting style you set.

I know it might seem much to ask, but that's the way it is with public projects.

Thank you.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by mike.lischke on 7 Apr 2012 at 9:24

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Original comment by eskr...@mac.com on 18 Apr 2012 at 12:38

• Changed state: Accepted
• Added labels: Priority-Low
• Removed labels: Priority-Medium

[GoogleCodeExporter]

This issue was closed by revision 6c2d0a9dee6d.

Original comment by eskr...@mac.com on 20 Apr 2012 at 1:18

• Changed state: Fixed