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Q178995: FIX: Visual C++ Wizards Ignore "Insert Spaces" in Tabs Option

Article: Q178995
Product(s): Microsoft C Compiler
Version(s): winnt:4.0,4.1,4.2,5.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbwizard kbCodeGen kbide kbMFC kbVC400 kbVC500 kbVC600 kbClassWizard kbGrpDSTools
Last Modified: 08-MAY-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual C++, versions 4.0, 4.1 
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Enterprise Edition, versions 4.2, 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Professional Edition, versions 4.2, 5.0, 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Learning Edition, version 6.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

AppWizard and ClassWizard always generate code indented with tabs, regardless of
the "Insert Spaces" setting.

RESOLUTION
==========

Visual C++ 5.0 and 6.0
----------------------

To remove all undesired tab characters from text displayed in Visual C++
Developer Studio, use the Untabify feature. To "untabify" a set of lines:

1. Select the line(s) containing the undesired tab characters. To select the
  entire document, click Select All on the Edit menu.

2. Click Advanced on the Edit menu, then click Untabify Selection. Spaces
  replace tab characters. The selected text's visible formatting does not
  change. All tab characters are correctly replaced by an appropriate number of
  spaces.

Visual C++ 4.x
--------------

To remove undesired tab characters from text displayed in Visual C++ versions
earlier than 5.0, use the Replace feature. Follow these steps:

1. Determine your tab expansion setting. Click Options on the Tools menu, then
  click Tabs on the dialog box. Note the setting labeled Tab size.

2. Select the line(s) containing the undesired tab characters. To remove tabs
  from the entire document, see step 4.

3. Click Replace on the Edit menu. In the Find what field, type a number of
  spaces corresponding to the "Tab size" setting. In the Replace with field,
  type in the same number of spaces.

4. In the Replace in section, select either Selection or Whole file. Click
  OK.[ASCII 148] Leading and full-width tabs are now replaced with spaces.

5. To remove tabs whose effective widths do not correspond to the Tab size
  setting (tabs between text), repeat replacing as in steps 3 and 4 but with
  one less space each time in the Find what and Replace with fields. After
  replacing all single spaces with single spaces, there will be no remaining
  tabs in the selection.

STATUS
======

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Visual C++ Developer Studio offers options to control how the editor processes
tab keystrokes. If the Insert Spaces option is selected for the current file
type, the editor embeds spaces instead of tab characters into source code
whenever the user presses the TAB key.

Some earlier text editors and utility programs automatically expand tabs to a
fixed setting, which the user cannot configure (usually eight characters). The
text formatting that they display will not properly represent code written with
tab expansion set to a different value (four is the default in Developer
Studio). For this and other reasons, some users may prefer to have their code
formatted with spaces only.

However, AppWizard and ClassWizard always generate code indented with tabs,
regardless of the Insert Spaces setting. This behavior may annoy those users who
prefer spaces.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior
---------------------------

1. Start Visual C++ 5.0.

2. Click Options on the Tools menu and choose the Tabs section.

3. Select Insert Spaces. Save the setting by clicking OK.

4. Create a new project with any of the AppWizards, and open one or more of its
  files.

5. Click Advanced on the Edit menu, then click View Whitespace (not available in
  VC++ 4.x). The caret symbol (^) will appear where tab characters exist.
  Verify that indented lines contain tab characters.

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbwizard kbCodeGen kbide kbMFC kbVC400 kbVC500 kbVC600 kbClassWizard kbGrpDSTools 
Technology        : kbVCsearch kbVC400 kbAudDeveloper kbVC410 kbVC420 kbVC500 kbVC600 kbVC32bitSearch kbVC500Search
Version           : winnt:4.0,4.1,4.2,5.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix

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