Replacing tabs in vi

[wcs at ho95e.UUCP]

In article <3050001 at hplsdlw.HP.COM> was at hplsdlw.UUCP writes:
>randy at tekla.UUCP (Randy Gibbons) asks:
>> Is there a way in vi to have spaces rather than tabs placed in the
>text.
>Unfortunately, vi has an annoying tendency to auto-indent using tabs.  I
>don't know of a way to disable this (mis) feature.  However, once the
>tabs are in the file, you can remove them [.......]
> .....	!Gcol -x    (replace contents of file with detabbed output of col -x)

(I happen to think tabs are a "good thing"; I'd much rather work in vi
 where you get tabs too often than the rand editor which *always*
 trashes tabs, even if they were in the original file.  The usual
 reasons for NOT wanting tabs are that you prefer non-equal tab
 settings, or that you use other programs which don't default right.)

To make vi not do tabs when you autoindent, do
	:set tabstop=0
This has the negative effect of displaying files with tabs in them a
bit weird (i.e. C programs.), but it means that vi will use spaces
instead of tabs to indent with.
	If your real complaint is that you don't like tab stops of size
8, you can set ts=4 sw=4 and then print your programs using options to
expand tabs by +4 (e.g. pr -e4 foo.c)

-- 
# Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs 2G-202, Holmdel NJ 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs