Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1999 11:58:50 +0200
From: Hans-Bernhard Broeker <broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de>
Message-Id: <199904260958.LAA15165@acp3bf.physik.rwth-aachen.de>
To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: Why are tabs required in makefiles?
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Organization: RWTH Aachen, III. physikalisches Institut B
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com

In article <8D53104ECD0CD211AF4000A0C9D60AE301330CCD AT probe-2 DOT acclaim-euro DOT net> you wrote:
[...]
> I wonder how many things would break if make automatically collapsed
> 8 leading spaces into a tab character? 

Well: there *are* people who configure their editors for tab-widths
other than 8 spaces, for example.

So once 'make' would have that rule you propose, users would stop
asking "Why do I need a tab?", but instead, they'd immediately start
asking "Why must I use *8* spaces?". Not much, if anything, would have
been gained.

--
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.