Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]


Groups > comp.lang.python > #73984

Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces

Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Date 2014-07-04 19:00 -0700
References <mailman.11462.1404408676.18130.python-list@python.org>
Message-ID <22220d8c-af69-434b-9361-520e396e615e@googlegroups.com> (permalink)
Subject Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces
From Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com>

Show all headers | View raw


On Thursday, July 3, 2014 12:31:04 PM UTC-5, Tobiah wrote:
> Coworker takes PEP8 as gospel and uses 4 spaces <snip>

I'm saddened that every one of these little "tabs versus
spaces" arguments revolve more around selfishness and less
around an understanding of what a "tabs" and "spaces"
actually *are*, because, how can you solve a problem when
you're unable to understand the fundamental dicotomoy of
this relationship between "tabs" and "spaces"?

I believe the whole issue can be boiled down into: "Use the
correct tool for the job". And there in lies the rub, before
we can make the *choice*, we must comprehend the
*differences*.

============================================================
 What is a "space"
============================================================

Duh!

============================================================
 What is a "tab"
============================================================

We all know "tabs" are used to present text in tabular form
(aka: tables), however, tabs are much more than merely a
"concatenation-of-N-spaces". Not only do tabs allow a user
to control alignments via the mechanical process of pressing
the "tab key", tabs also allow a more powerful and precise
"hook" into the underlying mechinism of vertical alignments
via "rules" defined by the user.

    AND THIS LAST POINT IS THE TRUE POWER OF "TABS"!

Yes, "tabs" are an extrapolation of "spaces", but they are
also more powerful than a "space" could ever be. If we
imagine "spaces" and "backspaces" to be like *addtion* and
*subtraction*, we can extrapolate that "tabs" and um, well,
"backtabs" to be like *multiplication* and *division* -- not
in a quantitve sense of course, but in an "exponentially
more powerful" sense. 

============================================================
 Tabs or spaces?
============================================================

And now we must answer the burning question. 

Not that my habits really matter but I myself use only
spaces and NEVER tabs, and i only use four spaces, never
more, never less,,, and i don't use spaces because i prefer
spaces over tabs, no, i use spaces because spaces are going
to render the same in all editors.

Strangly, I rather fancy the idea of using tabs in code,,,
which allow each viewer to view the code in his or her level
of indention,,, however, i cannot justify using a tab as a
replacement for a space. Tabs should be used for "tabular"
data (aka: speadsheets), and since code is NOT tabular data,
we would be wise to use the space char for indention.

    from brain import logic

Back to comp.lang.python | Previous | NextPrevious in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread


Thread

PEP8 and 4 spaces Tobiah <tshepard@rcsreg.com> - 2014-07-03 10:31 -0700
  Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-07-03 13:46 -0400
  Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-07-03 19:02 +0000
    Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Tim Chase <python.list@tim.thechases.com> - 2014-07-03 14:40 -0500
      Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Tobiah <toby@tobiah.org> - 2014-07-03 14:23 -0700
        Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Emile van Sebille <emile@fenx.com> - 2014-07-03 16:15 -0700
          Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-07-04 14:28 +0000
            Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-07-04 17:54 +0300
              Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-07-05 00:58 +1000
              Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-07-04 16:00 +0100
                Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-07-04 18:12 +0300
              Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Simon Ward <simon+python@bleah.co.uk> - 2014-07-04 19:52 +0100
              Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Michael Torrie <torriem@gmail.com> - 2014-07-05 16:03 -0600
              Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-07-05 23:50 +0100
            Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-07-04 15:57 +0100
            Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Emile van Sebille <emile@fenx.com> - 2014-07-04 08:57 -0700
            Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-07-04 17:06 +0100
              Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Maciej Dziardziel <fiedzia@gmail.com> - 2014-07-04 09:19 -0700
                Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-07-04 16:56 +0000
    Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Tobiah <toby@tobiah.org> - 2014-07-03 14:28 -0700
  Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-07-04 01:02 +0000
    Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-07-04 11:19 +1000
    Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2014-07-04 18:35 +1200
      Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces wxjmfauth@gmail.com - 2014-07-04 01:47 -0700
        Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-07-04 12:21 +0300
          Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces wxjmfauth@gmail.com - 2014-07-04 03:10 -0700
      Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-07-04 09:47 -0400
        Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Mihamina Rakotomandimby <mihamina.rakotomandimby@rktmb.org> - 2014-07-04 16:59 +0300
        Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-07-04 16:12 +0100
        Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces George Silva <georger.silva@gmail.com> - 2014-07-04 12:14 -0300
          Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-07-04 12:31 -0400
            Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces George Silva <georger.silva@gmail.com> - 2014-07-04 13:37 -0300
        Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2014-07-05 11:14 +1200
  Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2014-07-04 19:00 -0700
    Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2014-07-04 19:47 -0700
      Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-07-05 13:03 +1000
      Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2014-07-05 20:57 +1200
        Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-07-05 09:48 +0000
      OT: Flashlights [was Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces] Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-07-05 10:15 +0000
        Re: OT: Flashlights [was Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces] Rick Johnson <rantingrickjohnson@gmail.com> - 2014-07-06 08:41 -0700
          Re: OT: Flashlights [was Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces] Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-07-07 08:25 +1000
    Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-07-05 12:57 -0600
      Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-07-05 15:07 -0400
    Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Robert Kern <robert.kern@gmail.com> - 2014-07-05 21:07 +0100
    Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-07-06 09:27 +1000
      Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Dan Sommers <dan@tombstonezero.net> - 2014-07-06 01:18 +0000
        Re: PEP8 and 4 spaces Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-07-06 11:28 +1000

csiph-web