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Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:18:18 -0600
From: Andrew Berg <bahamutzero8825@gmail.com>
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To: "comp.lang.python" <python-list@python.org>
Subject: Re: Please verify!!
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On 2/24/2012 2:32 AM, Ben Finney wrote:
> Are you referring to novice programmers – who, by any reasonable
> definition of “novice”, don't have an opinion on the tabs-versus-spaces
> indentation debate?
> 
> Or are you talking about people who are experienced enough to have an
> opinion and expect their editor to allow them the choice?
The former. Opinion doesn't necessarily come with experience - habit
will usually override any minor reason to change. My point is that one
should have an opinion on it, not just be told which is better. I should
clarify that I mean that in a general sense as well, since it may have
come across as a bit of an overreaction.

> The reason is the same: spaces for indentation and UTF-8 for encoding
> will both allow them the best chance of ignoring the issue as
> irrelevant, by enabling the smoothest collaboration with the vast
> majority of other programmers who have to work with them.
If by that, you mean that using spaces is better because it's what the
majority of programmers use, and it makes things much smoother when
working with others, then I agree. When working in a team, it's
definitely not something to argue over.

> And in both those issues, I think it's ludicrous to expect the novice
> programmer to care enough about the matter to have an opinion and select
> a configuration option. The editor authors should choose the best option
> for them as a default, and let most users sail on, happily ignorant of
> the flame wars they have avoided.
A valid point. I think one should have an opinion, but I can see why one
would avoid the issue.

-- 
CPython 3.2.2 | Windows NT 6.1.7601.17640