Re: [Caml-list] Re: [Caml-announce] OCamldoc

[Jimmie Houchin <jhouchin@texoma.net>]

"Benjamin C. Pierce" wrote:
> 
> > > The worst thing wrong with this convention in Make is that \t and eight
> > > spaces look the same but mean different.  Nothing like that is being
> > > proposed here.
> >
> > I'm afraid it is. The notion of two things being at the `same indentation
> > level' is dependent on the number of spaces which \t expands into, isn't
> > it?
> 
> I see this as a minor problem.  After all, the only indentation levels
> that are likely to matter for this application are zero and nonzero!
> 
> Still, I'm not all that opposed to Jerome's suggestion -- it's a little
> heavier than the minimum, in my view, but not much.  (I'm glad we've had
> so much discussion about it, though, because now people will think twice
> before proposing *more* funny characters to go in comments... :-)

The Python community has few problems with indentation or white space
being significant. The people who have problems generally weren't
open-minded about it and generally never accepted Python and generally
don't use. There are exceptions, but there always are.

About the difference in tabs and spaces. Generally the only problem you
have is when the individual mixes the together differently. This
generally doesn't happen. If all of the dire tab and spacing issues were
common source code would look funny to everyone all the time in every
language. I believe IMHO that it is generally more consistent than that.

Regardless, if the individual who wrote the code indented/tabbed/spaced
the two lines identically with the exception of the second line being
being indented more. Then it should make little difference because the
second line is indented past the point of the first, regardless of
indentation style or tab/space expansion.

If it looks right in their editor it should parse correctly.

People generally don't tab to a place on one line and then space to the
same point on the next line. They will generally do the same thing on
both lines to reach the same point and then do something additional on
the second. That should be all that's necessary.

If someone's creative use of the editors preferences and choice of
indenting styles breaks the parsing of OCamldoc, then some education
would be what's appropriate. Regardless of which system is chosen there
will be an educational process on behalf of the users to learn the
system. I would hate to see this system not chosen simply because of
indentation.

Just thought I would throw that out there. :)
I'm not qualified in any other way. I'm just learning OCaml.
But, if I voted, I like Benjamin's version.

Jimmie Houchin
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