On 6/5/2014 4:39 AM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
On Wed, 04 Jun 2014 22:43:05 -0400, Terry Reedy wrote:
Many mail readers treat \t as a null char since it actually has no
standard translation into screen space.
No *single* standard.
I challenge that assertion. There are two standard translations into
screen space: jump to the next multiple of 8 spaces, or 1 space.
You forgot the other tab standards. In the US, the default tab stops are
at 1/2 inch intervals, which is 5 or 6 chars for fixed 10 or 12 pitch
fonts. Most email is not code from programmers and their bizarre (to a
non-programmer) and dis-functional choice (sometimes) of 8 spaces.
Treating \t as a single space would be pathetic but standard. Treating it
as (up to) 8 spaces would be more useful, and standard. Rendering it as a
picture of a banana dancing on the ceiling would be silly and non-
standard. Not rendering it at all is even more stupid and less justified.
<\t> would be better than nothing. Let us see what Thunderbird does
*now*. Maybe complaints prompted a change. Or maybe some clients eat
tabs upon sending.
4 spaces
8 spaces
tab, which displays as 8 spaces on input
2 tabs
Regardless of what shows, there is still no configuration option.
--
Terry Jan Reedy
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