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What Vim Auto-Indent Commands Adjust Indent Width?

2025-09-04 09:02:52 47

4 Answers

Zane

2025-09-06 09:56:56

My go-to practical tip: adjust three main settings — :set shiftwidth=NUM, :set tabstop=NUM, and :set softtabstop=NUM — and then decide whether you want real tabs or spaces with :set expandtab or :set noexpandtab. shiftwidth controls how many spaces Vim uses for each indent level, tabstop affects how existing TAB characters display, and softtabstop makes editing with the Tab key feel right. For file-specific behavior I use :setlocal inside an autocmd for the filetype (for example Python gets four spaces), and if I change the rules for an open file I run gg=G to reindent it or :retab to convert tabs/spaces. That combination covers most real-world headaches I've hit while juggling other people's style guides.

Riley

2025-09-09 04:48:17

I tend to approach this from a project configuration angle: first I check what Vim is currently using with :set shiftwidth? :set tabstop? and :set softtabstop? so I know what's active. shiftwidth determines the logical indentation size that automatic indentation uses and that >>/<< apply, while tabstop controls how many spaces a real TAB char stands for in the file. softtabstop is the editing compromise — it makes pressing Tab and Backspace feel natural without changing existing characters until you write the file with :retab or toggle expandtab.

For per-project consistency I add FileType autocommands, something like autocmd FileType python setlocal expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4, which keeps Python files clean while allowing different settings for, say, Makefiles (where literal tabs are required). If you want to switch on the fly, :setlocal sw=2 ts=2 sts=2 is handy. I also use :set cindent and tweak cinoptions for C/C++ work; those control deeper formatting behavior beyond width. Honestly, once you combine :setlocal, :retab, and gg=G you can migrate an entire codebase to the indentation rules you prefer without losing your mind.

Cooper

2025-09-09 23:03:38

If you're fiddling with Vim's indentation and want precise control, the trio I reach for is :set shiftwidth, :set tabstop, and :set softtabstop.

shiftwidth (sw) controls how many spaces a single indentation level uses for operations like >>, <<, and automatic indentation. I usually do :setlocal shiftwidth=4 for projects that use four-space indents. tabstop (ts) sets how many spaces a literal TAB character displays as; use :set tabstop=4 to make existing tabs line up visually with your intended width. softtabstop (sts) affects insert-mode behavior: :set softtabstop=4 makes pressing Backspace or Tab behave like you're working with 4-space logical tabs even if actual file uses tabs.

A couple of other practical commands I keep in my .vimrc: :set expandtab to insert spaces instead of real tabs (or :set noexpandtab to keep tabs), :set autoindent to keep the previous line's indentation, and :set cindent or :set smartindent for C-like auto-indenting. If you want the changes to apply only to the current buffer, use :setlocal sw=2 ts=2 sts=2. To reformat an entire file after changing settings, I often run gg=G to reindent the whole buffer, or :retab to convert tabs to spaces (or the reverse with :retab!). These little tweaks saved me hours when I was switching between Python, Makefiles, and Go projects.

Riley

2025-09-10 18:36:05

Okay, for a quick practical checklist: use :set shiftwidth=4 to set the indent amount Vim uses for operations and automatic indentation; use :set tabstop=4 to set how many spaces a literal TAB represents; and use :set softtabstop=4 to fine-tune tab behavior while editing. If you prefer spaces over tabs, add :set expandtab, and if you want buffer-local settings for a filetype, use :setlocal shiftwidth=2 softtabstop=2 expandtab. Also remember :set autoindent to enable simple carry-over indentation, and :set cindent or :set smartindent for smarter language-aware indentation. When changing these mid-file, gg=G reindents lines and :retab converts between tabs and spaces. I learned this the hard way when my collaborator kept committing mixed tabs and spaces—once you get the sw/ts/sts relationship, life gets easier.

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