Query on CodingStyle: indentation

[adam8157@gmail.com (Adam Lee)]

On Thu, Oct 18, 2012 at 10:31:29PM -0700, Kumar amit mehta wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I've a query regarding the coding style for Linux Kernel code. I'm
> reading the CodingStyle under Documentation and what I've understood is
> that I shouldn't be using spaces for indentation purposes and should use
> tabs of width 8 characters. Quoting from the same document: 
> "Outside of comments, documentation and except in Kconfig, spaces are
> never used for indentation, and the above example is deliberately broken."
> However, Is it correct to replace each tab stroke by 8 spaces ? I use vim
> editor and I've put following under $HOME/.vimrc file:
> <snip>
> set tabstop=8
> set shiftwidth=8 
> set expandtab
> <snip>
> 
> In past I've seen that some application have different interpretation of
> tabs and hence sometimes even If I've done proper indentation using tab,
> the code appears unindented, and therefore In order to make sure that I'm
> moving 8 characters upon hitting tab, I've put the above rules under my
> .vimrc file. Please let me know If I should remove these from my .vimrc
> file and rely on tab instead.

No, you should not expand tabs. Tabs in CodingStyle mean _hard_ tabs.

Mine:

<snip>
set tabstop=8
set noexpandtab
set shiftwidth=8
set cinoptions=:0,l1,t0,g0
<snip>

-- 
Regards,
Adam Lee
http://adam8157.info