Re: dpkg-scanlibs

[Jon Nelson <jnelson@boa.org>]

> [ I hate to drag this out, but... ]
> 
> > That is exactly my point -- every editor / personal setting will be diffe=
> rent
> > as to how many spaces a tab represents.
> 
> It seems to me that this is the source of the misunderstanding.

No, see below.
 
> A tab doesn't represent spaces. It represents a tab, an indent.
> 
> You can set up your editor to display those indents however you like. If
> you like to see it as a series of [1-8] spaces, that's up to you.

A tab *does* represent spaces in Python.  8, if I recall correctly.
The problem manifests itself when a *human* uses both tabs and spaces
for purposes of indentation.  While it's all good and fine to say, 
"I will always use tabs" it often doesn't turn out like that, due to
accident or what have you. If one's editor uses 8 spaces to represent a tab,
(parse that part *very* carefully) then things are fine.  If "Bob" then 
edits that file, and he sets his editor to use more or less spaces to
represent a tab, then we are in trouble.  The indenting is all messed up,
and a human will "fix" it, and then it's "broke".  See?

Let it drop, now, huh?

-- 
"We all enter this world in the same way: naked; screaming; soaked in
blood. But if you live your life right, that kind of thing doesn't have
to stop there." -- Dana Gould

Jon Nelson
jnelson@boa.org