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Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:40:08 +1100
From: Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au>
To: Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info>
Subject: Re: Problem while doing a cat on a tabbed file with pexpect
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On 15Jan2012 23:04, Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> wrote:
| On Sun, 15 Jan 2012 09:51:44 -0800, Saqib Ali wrote:
| > I am using Solaris 10, python 2.6.2, pexpect 2.4
| > 
| > I create a file called me.txt which contains the letters "A", "B", "C"
| > on the same line separated by tabs.
| [...]
| > Now, clearly the file contains tabs.
| 
| That is not clear at all. How do you know it contains tabs? How was the 
| file created in the first place?
| 
| Try this:
| 
| text = open('me.txt', 'r').read()
| print '\t' in text
| 
| My guess is that it will print False and that the file does not contain 
| tabs. Check your editor used to create the file.

I was going to post an alternative theory but on more thought I think
Steven is right here.

What does:

  od -c me.txt

show you? TABs or multiple spaces?

What does:

  ls -ld me.txt

tell you about the file size? Is it 6 bytes long (three letters, two
TABs, one newline)?

Steven hasn't been explicit about it, but some editors will write spaces when
you type a TAB. I have configured mine to do so - it makes indentation more
reliable for others. If I really need a TAB character I have a special
finger contortion to get one, but the actual need is rare.

So first check that the file really does contain TABs.

Cheers,
-- 
Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au> DoD#743
http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/

Yes Officer, yes Officer, I will Officer. Thank you.