Re: bin/60010: "expandtab" behaves counter-intuitively (and different from vim)

["Jason Thorpe via gnats" <gnats-admin%NetBSD.org@localhost>]

The following reply was made to PR bin/60010; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: Jason Thorpe <thorpej%me.com@localhost>
To: gnats-bugs%netbsd.org@localhost
Cc: gnats-admin%netbsd.org@localhost,
 netbsd-bugs%netbsd.org@localhost
Subject: Re: bin/60010: "expandtab" behaves counter-intuitively (and different
 from vim)
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:03:32 -0500

 > I don't think this is a bug. Indenting is done with Control-T, not
 > Control-I (TAB).  Inputting a TAB is done with the TAB key or with
 > Control-I.  It would be counter-intuitive if TAB would produce spaces
 > instead.
 >=20
 > I think vim has gotten this wrong (among other things).
 
 It just seems a ridiculous from a UI perspective.  Manual indenting is =
 done *a lot*, and Control-T is simply not a convenient key combination =
 (no matter where you keep your Control key) where as the Tab key is =
 *right there* and I=E2=80=99d venture to guess that practically everyone =
 instinctively hits Tab (unless you=E2=80=99re an emacs user, in which =
 case you=E2=80=99re a lost cause :-).  (The subtext here is: =E2=80=9CIf =
 I wanted to torture myself with bucky bits, I=E2=80=99d use emacs!=E2=80=9D=
 ).  Having consistency in formatting should not require setting both ts =
 and sw and overcoming decades of muscle memory to hit an awkward key =
 combination.
 
 -- thorpej