Thread: How do you indent: spaces or tabs?

Originally Posted by zacs7

On a side note, who uses black backgrounds for their coding window? I find it's easier on my eyes.

I've used it pretty much all my life. Always around some sort of small variation of this style. Except back in the days when we had little choice and it was either white on blue, or green on black.

But recently I've been having problems with it. I'm getting tired faster and, I reckon, having more trouble concentrating with it. My ophthalmologist insists it's the fact I'm getting old and the quick variations between dark and bright white when switching between the editor and the web or other materials is not being taken easily anymore by my eyes.

I have been doing some forays into lighter backgrounds, while making sure I do not increase the contrast too much, testing some possibilities until I settle with something I like. Currently this is what I have, but still working on it. I'm not entirely satisfied yet.

OldBrownEyes Scheme:
The font is Dina. Scientifically proven by the major makers of software to be the best font to protect your code from corrosion and calcium oxide while leaving a good natural smell and protecting the environment.

Originally Posted by zacs7

On a side note, who uses black backgrounds for their coding window? I find it's easier on my eyes.

Me too. I had thought this was scientifically proven, but after googling around it looks like the world is split on the issue and there is no evidence, beyond personal preference, to justify either dark on light or light on dark.

I'm also sold on large fonts; I used to use normal fonts and then just jack them up sometimes when my eyes got tired. Now I just leave them all large all the time and hey! my eyes never get tired.

ps. great vim tip, thanks! I use all tabs, but at least I can see them now. Apparently this has it's own highlight class:

Code:

:highlight ExtraWhitespace ctermbg=darkblue

No one is extreme enough to use 1 space for indenting.

Which is odd since it's the optimal indent level for a small file size, while still having indenting

Originally Posted by zacs7

Which is odd since it's the optimal indent level for a small file size, while still having indenting

Using tab characters would result in the same small file size with indentation that is easier to spot. But "small file size" is a poor argument anyway.

Originally Posted by laserlight

Using tab characters would result in the same small file size with indentation that is easier to spot. But "small file size" is a poor argument anyway.

Yes, yes, I meant with spaces. Oh well, curse my ambiguity. And of course it's a poor argument, so is using 1 space :-)