tabs in examples and shacl-shacl?

[VladimirAlexiev]

• I noticed there are tabs when you copy any example from the spec
  (eg https://raw.githack.com/w3c/data-shapes/master/shacl12-core/index.html#example-12)
• SHACL-SHACL's shsh:ShapeShape should stop line-wrapping property links #449 also discusses tabs in the normative SHACL-SHACL shapes

@ajnelson-nist @HolgerKnublauch @nicholascar has this been discussed?
I've been taught long ago that tabs in source files are not a good thing since their width is not standardized.
Eg I prefer width=2 (I value my horizontal space) but it leads to misalignment (I guess the assumed width is 4):

Perhaps it's ok if tabs are used only at start of lines?

[HolgerKnublauch]

This will quickly turn into a personal choice and religious discussion. The same convention was used in the old documents and haven't really caused issues. There are pros and cons of both.

I suggest we close this as we have more urgent things on the agenda.

[VladimirAlexiev]

• Sorry, in this case there is a theologian who's done the research: http://www.opimedia.be/DS/languages/tabs-vs-spaces/.
  94 references out of 110 and 45 languages out of 50 recommend spaces not tabs.
  Does SHACL really want to be in the 5-10% of iconoclasts?
• All Turtle serialization tools that I know use spaces not tabs:
  • riot (but its indentation is horrible)
  • longturtle of @nicholascar
  • turtle-pretty and owl of @atextor

If people agree with the suggestion, I undertake to do it.

• @HolgerKnublauch, If you're really worried of a religious war that needs time to play out: can we postpone rather than canceling?
• @ajnelson-nist you raised a discussion on the formatting of SHACL-SHACL, what do you think about this issue?
• @TallTed what do you think ?

[HolgerKnublauch]

I am more worried about workload here. It is quite easy to suggest improvements, but someone needs to do all of them. We all have day jobs.

[VladimirAlexiev]

I'd do it

[TallTed]

Yes spaces, not tabs, for indents in source, regardless of language.

Especially but not only in languages where whitespace is syntactically important (e.g., Oracle configuration files) and debugging starts with the nightmare of rationalizing what the space indents would have been had the tabs never been used, especially when tabs and spaces are mixed!

2 space stops are OK but not always clear.
4 space stops are most common in places I touch, and my preference.
8 space stops are far too wide for my sensibilities, but I must work with them in some projects.

[ajnelson-nist]

I'm indifferent on spaces vs. tabs. Whatever the group decides, I'll go with. Thank you for volunteering, @VladimirAlexiev .