Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder4.news.weretis.net!rt.uk.eu.org!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path: <rosuav@gmail.com>
X-Original-To: python-list@python.org
Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status: OK 0.064
X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.87; '*S*': 0.00; 'stops': 0.07; '90s,': 0.16; 'assigns': 0.16; 'defaulting': 0.16; 'from:addr:rosuav': 0.16; 'from:name:chris angelico': 0.16; 'measured': 0.16; 'tab': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'processor': 0.24; 'defined': 0.27; 'header :In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'am,': 0.29; 'character': 0.29; 'message- id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'that.': 0.31; 'changed.': 0.31; 'subject:all': 0.32; 'received:209.85': 0.35; 'received:209.85.220': 0.35; 'something': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; "didn't": 0.36; 'two': 0.37; 'received:209': 0.37; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'how': 0.40; 'hardware': 0.61; 'till': 0.61; 'back': 0.62; 'nobody': 0.68; 'subject:you': 0.87; '2013': 0.98
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:x-received:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id :subject:from:to:content-type; bh=fBkEYVjnxxukNt3tD/J3JLZXOuuRicrPOCxkDICyHwo=; b=OlYB54aDePf8fDkJtGXgleHqpZrjvPOw0DAZzOA1rWepACGJeUSb/VBW2gDf9eks7H WjlhVX+8xUYpCJyUUVOb3yB8FE5rFDNUG9EiOONWhNpEINwvTxf3q8j9LBxPYV6IV/Jz ZC/M34O9xzgMgM1jNQdPMwltsekJC0ylLua4S9/Ab/FWdS4yWXqR9OJZnhwNIzEgNQWz MCXECaq2WhaaAQq0PSKNVUPT1pWhAKPx9jyGhoiTbvSZf9857LmabRddzy1ssX6shGRP L6iffFLz8CMU1m9RJ459/u0Z6shctBGG9PIz0R9bD+POoosw8LAEhdGIf4vM7XoXL6+S TnaA==
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Received: by 10.220.109.145 with SMTP id j17mr11046318vcp.34.1365258032883; Sat, 06 Apr 2013 07:20:32 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <pan.2013.04.06.13.52.44.838000@nowhere.com>
References: <64d4fb7c-6a75-4b5f-b5c8-06a4b2b5d0cb@googlegroups.com> <kjnh8h$pg5$1@reader1.panix.com> <906d8c05-99dc-4209-854c-7988ca7c78e3@googlegroups.com> <mailman.165.1365201779.3114.python-list@python.org> <95b2bc1c-57a2-48c9-85ea-cf1004c9e26c@googlegroups.com> <mailman.183.1365220469.3114.python-list@python.org> <pan.2013.04.06.13.52.44.838000@nowhere.com>
Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2013 01:20:32 +1100
Subject: Re: I hate you all
From: Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>
To: python-list@python.org
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15
Precedence: list
List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/>
List-Post: <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help: <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Message-ID: <mailman.200.1365258042.3114.python-list@python.org>
Lines: 15
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace: 1365258042 news.xs4all.nl 6847 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:39539
X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:42912

On Sun, Apr 7, 2013 at 12:52 AM, Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote:
> Historically, software and hardware which assigns a meaning to a tab
> character has come in two flavours:
>
> 1. Tab stops are every 8 columns; this cannot be changed.
> 2. Tab stops are configurable, defaulting to every 8 columns.

3. Tab stops are measured in something other than characters.

With variable-width fonts, it's illogical to set tab stops in
characters. DeScribe Word Processor defined them in centimeters, way
back in the early... well, I didn't meet it till the 90s, but I don't
know how long it had been around before that.

ChrisA