Convert Tabs to Spaces
Easily switch between tabs and spaces. Normalize your code indentation or clean up text formatting instantly.
Select how many spaces equal one tab.
Ultra Fast
Changes apply in real-time. No server delays or page reloads.
100% Private
Processing happens in your browser. Your data never leaves your device.
File Ready
Easily process large text files via drag-and-drop or file selector.
Try These Examples
Python Indentation
Fix mixed indentation by converting tabs to 4 spaces for PEP 8 compliance.
Go Style Tabs
Convert space-indented code to tabs for Go-style formatting.
Linux Kernel Style
Convert tabs to 8-space indentation following Linux kernel coding style.
YAML Formatting
Clean up YAML files by converting spaces to tabs for consistent formatting.
Tabs vs. Spaces: The Ultimate Guide
The debate between using tabs or spaces for indentation is as old as programming itself. Whether you prefer the precision of spaces (like in Python or YAML) or the flexibility of tabs (like in Go), this tool makes it easy to switch between them.
Why Convert Indentation?
- Consistency: Mixing tabs and spaces can cause errors in languages like Python or Makefiles. Converting everything to one style ensures code runs correctly.
- Style Guides: Different projects have different rules. For example, the Linux Kernel uses 8-space tabs, while most JS projects use 2 spaces.
- File Size: Tabs take up less space (1 byte) compared to 4 spaces (4 bytes), which can matter for very large files.
- Accessibility: Tabs allow individual developers to set their own indentation width in their editor, making code easier to read for everyone.
Supported Formats
This tool works with any text file, but is especially useful for:
- Programming: Python (.py), JavaScript (.js), PHP (.php), Java, C++, Go.
- Data Formats: JSON, YAML, XML, HTML, CSS.
- Plain Text: Markdown files, logs, and configuration files.