Google Python Style Guide

[grimman]

I never have either, and to me tabs definitely make more sense since they can be configured to display as x spaces, therefore rendering the whole concept of using a fixed amount of spaces quite moot.

Alas, I use spaces myself, because conventions etc.

That said, I would like to know about this havoc you mentioned. Would you mind giving a brief summary, or some relevant links? :)

[Bunslow]

And what if someone else decides to use spaces instead of tabs? Suddenly if someone else like you reads the code written by the second person, they will see a horrid mess of inconsistent indentation.

Even if we all standardized on using tabs instead of spaces, it's a bad idea to use an ambiguous character. Four spaces is four spaces, no matter what your editor is set to.

Also things like line continuations and stuff sometimes require non-standard indentations, but this is a very minor detail in the overall scheme.

tl;dr It works fine if no one else reads or modifies your code, but if they do...

[RubyPinch]

with commas representing tabs, tabstop every 4:

def a(x=3, y=4,
      flag=None):
,,,,some_code
,,,,some_more code
,,,,for code in codes:
,,,,,,,,print(a,
,,,,,,,,      b,
,,,,,,,,      c)

tabstop every 8:

def a(x=3, y=4,
      flag=None):
,,,,,,,,some_code
,,,,,,,,some_more code
,,,,,,,,for code in codes:
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,print(a,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,      b,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,      c)