I think it might take more than +/- 4 lines of code to synamically figure out what the current tab setting is. And in some cases it might be ambiguous or conflicting. It's not unusual for some parts of the code to use one tab setting and other parts to use another -- neither of which match the indentation setting!
I agree that tabs vs spaces is a continual source of annoyance. Short of an 'IntelliTab' feature, it might be nice to be able to *see* where the existing tabs are, by filling the space with a light 'tab' color. At least then we could see if the new code we are editing matches the surrounding code. Valentin Kipiatkov wrote: > Actually, we are just not aware of how many users would like this feature > (considering that would take some efforts to implement it). I see 2 messages > in the list that support this idea. Anyone else? > > Best regards, > Valentin Kipiatkov > ----------------------------------------------------------- > IntelliJ Software, http://www.intellij.com/ > "Develop with pleasure" > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Thomas Singer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 8:17 PM > Subject: Re: [Eap-list] Smart tabs? > > > We need this! It could be one of the outstanding small features in IDEA, > > that no other IDE or editor has and you would not like to live without it > > any more if you had them in the past. > > > > IntelliJ, please give it a try! I believe, it can't be that difficult to > > detect wrapped lines. > > > > Tom > > > > > > At 10:42 14.02.02 -0500, you wrote: > > >+1! I think your idea, Tom, is absolutely excellent. Right on! I think > I > > >have even proposed your idea before to [EMAIL PROTECTED] but I > got > > >no feedback. You describe the solution very well with your illustration. > I > > >get into these annoying debates with someone I work with about tabs > versus > > >spaces and it is tiresome. My co-worker thinks everyone should conform > to > > >spaces since tab-formatted source looks inconsistent. I argued that the > > >problem is not with tabs themselves but that development tools are not > smart > > >about when to ommit tabs and when to ommit spaces instead! IDEA may have > a > > >smart editor, but I haven't seen any editor that has any intelligence > when > > >it comes to tabs versus spaces. They just have an option to ommit one or > > >the other, regardless of context, and that's it. What's needed is more > than > > >this. Your excellent idea Tom *AND* having the editor recognize that a > > >source file uses either tabs or spaces at the vicinity of text entry and > do > > >the right thing depending on wether it found any tabs within, say, 5 > lines > > >up or down of where the user hits the tab key. Sure... it isn't trivial > for > > >IntelliJ to put forth the effort to go above and beyond the typical > editor; > > >but then again, that's why I've paid them $400. > > > > > >~ Dave Smiley > > > MITRE > > > > > > > Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 12:16:59 +0100 > > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > From: Thomas Singer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Subject: [Eap-list] Smart tabs? > > > > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > Hello IntelliJ, > > > > > > > > I proposed from time to time, that IDEA should have an option for > smart > > > > tab-placements. What do you think about it? > > > > > > > > For all, that can't remember, what I meant, I 'll explain in short. > Assume > > > > following code: > > > > > > > > private int test(String value1, > > > > String value2) { > > > > return getValue(value1, > > > > value2); > > > > } > > > > > > > > I want to get following use of spaces and tabs (tabs are marked as > "|->" > > > > and spaces as "." where important; 4 spaces per tab): > > > > > > > > |-->private int test(String value1, > > > > |-->.................String value2) { > > > > |-->|-->return getValue(value1, > > > > |-->|-->................value2); > > > > |-->} > > > > > > > > and now, viewed with 8 spaces per tab: > > > > > > > > |------>private int test(String value1, > > > > |------>.................String value2) { > > > > |------>|------>return getValue(value1, > > > > |------>|------>................value2); > > > > |------>} > > > > > > > > Advantages: everything, that is in one column, remains in one column. > You > > > > can view this code with any spaces-per-tab-settings you prefer, it > always > > > > looks good. > > > > > > > > To get this, only some rules are necessary: > > > > > > > > 1) Each non-wrapped line is indented with tabs. > > > > 2) Each wrapped line takes the tab-indentation from the last > non-wrapped > > > > one and fills the rest with spaces! > > > > 3) Tabs are only valid before the left non-white-space character. > Pressing > > > > the tab key, lets say after "getValue(value1,|" always inserts spaces, > > > > never tabs! > > > > > > > > I hope, that IDEA would have this smart indentation engine. I believe, > it > > > > even would help SUN to layout their sources (having a look into the > > > > Jdk-Sources with a tab setting different than 8 is terrible). > > > > > > > > Tom > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > >Eap-list mailing list > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >http://www.intellij.com/mailman/listinfo/eap-list > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Eap-list mailing list > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://www.intellij.com/mailman/listinfo/eap-list > > _______________________________________________ > Eap-list mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.intellij.com/mailman/listinfo/eap-list _______________________________________________ Eap-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellij.com/mailman/listinfo/eap-list
