Default tab size changed from eight to four

[tuves]

What's new

We're updating the default tab size when viewing code and code snippets on GitHub from eight spaces to four spaces. This change affects all logged-out users and new accounts, making the default code display more consistent with common development practices.

Problem statement

The previous default tab size of eight spaces often resulted in code appearing more indented than many developers expected. Since many users are unaware that tab size can be adjusted in their settings, we're changing the default to better match typical development environments. By setting four spaces as the default, we aim to provide a code viewing experience that aligns with what most developers encounter in their daily work. Once logged in, users will still have the ability adjust their tab size according to their preferences by going to Settings > Appearance. This will not affect existing users who may still have the previous default setting of eight.

How to Provide Feedback

We want to hear from you! If you have thoughts or run into issues with the new default tab size, feel free to leave a comment below!

[Alhadis]

Since many users are unaware that tab size can be adjusted in their settings

Erh, why not add a tab-size setting directly to the toolbar so that users can configure this property themselves on a per-file basis?

Some historical codebases and file formats are formatted with the assumption that 8-column tabstops will be used when displaying the file. Having a per-file override would give users an opportunity to cycle between tabstop sizes until they see one that formats the columns correctly.

[moraesc]

Thanks for the feedback @Alhadis! I do like the idea of being table to toggle the tab size on a per-file basis for extra granularity and flexibility. We'll definitely take this into account in future iterations and keep you updated if there are any further improvements.

[Alhadis]

Awesome. Thanks so much for taking it into consideration!

[tomorrowgoodformeandmydreamand-ctrl]

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[aiven-amartin]

This is much appreciated, though it would be nice to have a toggle/default to show whitespace characters, especially if tab/space mixing is detected, similar to how missing trailing newline is visible as well.

[moraesc]

Completely agreed regarding showing whitespace characters @aiven-amartin. Thank you for the feedback! It'd be really helpful and is something we're thinking about and starting to explore. I'll make sure to share any updates with you as we go.

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