On Thursday, October 25, 2012 12:35:57 PM UTC-5, analogsix wrote: > Thanks guys, > > tabstop did it. I read the help text on > :tabstop, :softtabstop, :expandtab, :shiftwidth > > I'll list a description of each according to how I understand it. Can you > kindly correct my understanding where I'm mistaken? > > :set tabstop=# > also known as a hard tab. Configuring this setting specifies the number of > <space> characters per <tab> character inputted in insert mode. >
No, this option controls how many spaces are DISPLAYED for a hard tab in the text. It has nothing to do with what characters are actually inserted into the text when you press your <tab> key. > :set softtabstop=# > also known as a soft tab (default is 0 which means it is a disabled setting). > However if a nonzero number is set that is greater than :tabstop then <Tab>s > and <Backspace>s in insert mode will be the equivalent to inserting a number > of hard <Tab>s (as specified by :tabstop) as well as <space>s so that the > total number of spaces is equivalent to what was specified in :softtabstop. > Hence when softtabstop is > This option also affects autoindent. Autoindent always works in multiples of your 'shiftwidth' option. > :set expandtab > boolean setting (default is off). > In insert mode, this setting uses the appropriate number of spaces (as > specified when ':set autoindent' as well as the ':set shiftwidth=#' option is > set) to insert tabs. The number of spaces is specified by 'shiftwidth'. > When this setting is on, pressing <tab> in insert mode actually inserts spaces instead of tabs. > :set shiftwidth > (default is 8) > # of spaces to use for each step of autoindent (i.e. 'cindent', '>>', and > '<<') A good example of how these play together is the Vim source code, which if memory serves uses: shiftwidth=4 tabstop=8 softtabstop=4 noexpandtab Pressing tab once on an empty line inserts 4 spaces. Pressing it again replaces the 4 spaces with a single hard tab. A third time gives you a single hard tab followed by 4 spaces. A fourth time gives you 2 hard tabs, etc. Automatic indentation with cindent, autoindent, etc. inserts enough tabs, possibly followed by 4 spaces, to reach the appropriate multiple of 'shiftwidth'. -- You received this message from the "vim_use" maillist. Do not top-post! Type your reply below the text you are replying to. For more information, visit http://www.vim.org/maillist.php
