Re: [External] : Re: indent-tabs-mode default [was: Representation of the Emacs userbase on emacs-devel]

[Po Lu]

Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes:

> In my post that started this thread about
> `indent-tabs-mode' default value, I said this:
>
>   It's easy enough for some local use (e.g.
>   following the standards of some organization)
>   to customize the option to ON.  But that
>   should no longer be the default, IMO.
>
> Does that not apply to your context?

It doesn't, for reasons explained below.

> Not only an individual, but an organization
> can have a need for either no-tabs, all-tabs,
> or a mixture.  That is (should be, IIUC) easy
> to do, no?
>
> Likewise, for use in any particular context
> (e.g. project, directory, etc.).
>
> The default value for _Emacs itself_ is what
> the current question is about.  It of course
> needs to be easy for anyone and any group to
> set the setting they need, for any context.

The problem is that we have been relying on Emacs' defaults for a very
long time.  In fact, `indent-tabs-mode' has defaulted to t for as long
as I can remember -- it was that way in Emacs 18 and Epoch.

> There's `site-lisp.el'.  There are individual
> `custom.el' or init files.  There are mode
> hooks.  There are (probably - not familiar)
> project-wide hooks or settings via `project.el'
> or Projectile or whatever.

I don't use project.el or projectile, for the simple reason that I've
never needed to use them.

I don't think it would be simple to get my organization to provide
standard site init files or even dir-locals.  They would rather have us
switch to NetBeans.

> Yes, if the Emacs default changed you or your
> organization/project/site might need to add
> a setting for it.

And if it doesn't change, all this trouble will have been avoided
beforehand.