Path: ...!news.mixmin.net!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Chris Ahlstrom Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy Subject: Re: Tabs As Syntax Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2024 08:13:18 -0400 Organization: None Lines: 29 Message-ID: References: <17be73f7d87a06e9$246570$4075406$802601b3@news.usenetexpress.com> Reply-To: OFeem1987@teleworm.us Injection-Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2024 12:13:20 -0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="6173546b442cc983a268e72c1887ec8c"; logging-data="1567013"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX19YDc2zyAX2LrJ5TYafu+HB" User-Agent: slrn/1.0.3 (Linux) Cancel-Lock: sha1:xIpKZtIrsRRSGhiAlkw5sVNS3h4= X-Mutt: The most widely-used MUA X-Slrn: Why use anything else? X-User-Agent: Microsoft Outl00k, Usenet K00k Editions Bytes: 2192 Nuxxie wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties: > I took at the look at the Wikipedia page for GNU Make, the wonderful build > automation tool, and I found an interesting comment. > > Make uses a tab character as part of its syntax. Any competent text editor > (except on Microslop) will clearly distinguish between tabs and spaces, but > some still find the practice abhorrent: > > 'This aspect of the syntax of makefiles is often subject to criticism; it > has been described by Eric S. Raymond as "one of the worst design botches > in the history of Unix" and The Unix-Haters Handbook said "using tabs as > part of the syntax is like one of those pungee stick traps in The Green > Berets".' > > Gee. I wonder what these dudes would think of Python? The usage of spaces or tabs to determine statement scope is a great big turnoff for me. I don't subscribe to Guido's opinion on the visual ease of indentation. It's easier to search for braces and use whatever indentation makes it easy to read in context. The beauty of C is that white space is not significant except in quotes. -- Good night to spend with family, but avoid arguments with your mate's new lover.