Indentation
Tabs vs. Spaces Debate Ends Marriage; Divorce Papers Cite 'Irreconcilable Differences'
Dear Marilyn: Tabs or spaces? I need to know before I can continue living my life.
— Existentially Confused in Seattle
Dear Existentially: The answer is: tabs. But more importantly, the answer is: consistency. A codebase that mixes tabs and spaces is like a book that randomly switches between English and Klingon mid-sentence.
The Rules of Indentation
Rule 1: Use tabs, not spaces
Tabs allow each developer to set their preferred visual width. Spaces force everyone to see exactly what you see, whether they like it or not.
Rule 2: One level of indentation per block
Every time you open a brace, indent. Every time you close a brace, un-indent. This is not negotiable.
Rule 3: Align continuation lines
When a statement spans multiple lines, align the continuation with the opening element.
Visual Examples
Correct Indentation
public void ProcessOrder(Order order)
{
if (order.IsValid)
{
foreach (var item in order.Items)
{
ProcessItem(item);
}
}
}Incorrect Indentation
public void ProcessOrder(Order order)
{
if (order.IsValid)
{
foreach (var item in order.Items)
{
ProcessItem(item);
}
}
}Without indentation, the code structure is invisible. Good luck debugging this at 2 AM.
Quick Check
Why is consistent indentation important in code?