Newb question about code style

[Ian Lance Taylor]

Nathan Sidwell <nathan@codesourcery.com> writes:

> > Ok thanks that makes a difference. I still don't understand the
> > mixing of tabs and spaces though. The gnu website seems to be down
> > so I can't read http://www.gnu.org/prep/standards_toc.html.
> a tab is a character which moves to the next multiple of 8. do not abuse
> that by trying a different spacing. usually, tabs are used to get to the
> rightmost multiple of 8, and then (pairs of) spaces to get further right.
> 
> Why the original *fixed* *width* ASCII character set has a character whose
> width is not only different, but depends on where it is, is one of those
> things. (Of course Knuth would question why have a character code for a
> character with no glyph.)

Are you just kvetching, or truly mystified?  Surely the explanation is
obvious.  At least, it is obvious to anybody above a certain age.

Besides, ASCII is only fixed width from 0x20 to 0x7e.

Ian