in reply to Re^5: [RFC] Review of module code and POD (tab)
in thread [RFC] Review of module code and POD

I don’t know about programming but even in the 80s—and probably at least the 60s when the Selectric entered the game—tabs in typing and typesetting were format control signifiers without a predefinition; set by document, style declaration, or even a single line. They had no set spacing or even justification. These are all valid tabs and part of why I think tabs have no business in code.

[one tab]Text…
           [one tab]Text…
          [one tab]Longer…
                             [one tab]Text…
                      [one tab]Longer text…

[download]

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re^7: [RFC] Review of module code and POD (tab)
by Bod (Parson) on Apr 09, 2021 at 16:20 UTC
    They had no set spacing or even justification.

    That brings back memories of a school project whereby I typed up quite a bit of text fully justified - using my mother's manual Remington typewriter from the 1930's...IIRC each line was typed out once to work out where the extra spaces would be least noticeable and then typed again justified. Because of the tedium and probably frequency of mistakes, I think I did it a small amount at a time, cut the section out and glued it to a bigger sheet of paper...

[reply]

      That’s fun. It’s interesting how far we’ve come how fast. It was only two generations ago that editing music recordings, movies, type layout… was done with razors, glue, tape, transparencies, dodging/burning, paint… instead of software. Wild ride we’re on. :P

[reply]
Re^7: [RFC] Review of module code and POD (tab)
by LanX (Saint) on Apr 03, 2021 at 23:58 UTC
[reply]

      In just about all word processors, though it’s been too long since I used WordStar to remember if it was that early, and many typewriters for close to 80 (update: the Selectric is 60 years old, 80 was just me being dumb but who knows? :P) years at this point.

[reply]
        WordStar had has tab-stops! °

        I didn't know about tab-stops with typewriters.

        My dad had only a portable mechanical one, I only remember being able to adjust a left and right indent at a ruler.

        But after reading up I'm starting to understand some of the more arcane ASCII-codes better ;-)

        edit

        Fun fact: All those "Game of Thrones" novels are still written on WordStar, this may explain the delay and the violence.

        Cheers Rolf
        (addicted to the Perl Programming Language :)
        Wikisyntax for the Monastery

        °) I'm wondering if I can still remember some of the first hotkeys I ever learned ... hey there most be an emacs mode somewhere ;-)

[reply]

In Section Meditations