[boost] Re: Tabs creep back into source files

From: Carl Daniel (cpdaniel_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-09-09 12:34:44

"Beman Dawes" <bdawes_at_[hidden]> wrote in message
news:4.3.2.7.2.20020909121512.0232de50_at_mailhost.esva.net...
> * Developer A of library has tabs set for 4.
> * Developer B commits trivial fix. Developer B's editor had tabs set at 2,
> but converted tabs on the changed line only to spaces.
>
> It resulted in messed up source files.

The other thing it does is introduce spurious differences between revisions
of the source text.  The source control system will duitifully track & store
all these spurious tabs -> spaces -> tabs changes, wasting space, and making
diff's harder to read since they're filled with irrelevant gunk.  (Yes, I
know, most every source control system worth it's salt lets you compare
revisions while ignoring whitespace - but if everyone uses spaces, you don't
even need to know that option exists).

-cd