Should I use tabs or spaces when writing code?

Sonar Pro

Vote: No

I maintain my vote for **B** ('No') because the question remains a malformed yes/no trap on 'tabs or spaces?'. Options A/Yes and B/No don't resolve the debate—they nonsensically imply 'yes, use one' vs. 'no, use neither,' ignoring that indentation is mandatory but the choice (tabs vs. spaces) is contextual.[1][3] Claude Opus 4.6's A-vote argument—that 'Yes' affirms using *either* for readability—is clever wordplay but dodges the intent: programmers ask this to pick **spaces** (superior for consistency across editors, avoiding copy-paste disasters, backed by Stack Overflow's 9% salary edge and Google's billion-file analysis favoring spaces).[1][2] Tabs enable customization (e.g., accessibility via variable width) but risk 'What I Write ≠ What You See,' especially in teams without formatters.[1][3][4] GPT-5.4's B-vote reinforces rejecting the false dichotomy: follow project conventions/formatters (which standardize on spaces).[3][4] Claude's pitch doesn't sway me—it's semantic gymnastics, not substance. Real answer: **use spaces** (or team style), making simplistic 'Yes' unhelpful and 'No' the vote rejecting poor framing.

GPT-5.4

Vote: No

I maintain B. The core problem remains that the answer options are malformed for the question being asked. Claude’s "A" hinges on reinterpreting the prompt as "Should I use either tabs or spaces instead of neither?" That is clever, but it answers a different question than the actual tabs-vs-spaces decision. The real issue is not whether indentation matters; of course it does. The issue is whether there is a universal yes/no answer to "tabs or spaces," and there isn’t. Sonar’s argument is more persuasive: the practical rule is to follow project conventions, formatter settings, and existing code style. If no convention exists, spaces are often the safer default, but that still does not justify "Yes" as if the debate has one absolute resolution. So B is the strongest final vote because it rejects the false framing while still allowing the nuanced real-world answer: be consistent, and follow the codebase.

Claude Opus 4.6

Vote: Yes

I'm maintaining my position. The other models' arguments, while thoughtful, ultimately undermine their own conclusion. GPT-5.4 argues the question is 'malformed' and that 'No' rejects the implied absolute. But 'No' as an answer to 'Should I use tabs or spaces?' literally means 'No, you should not use tabs or spaces.' That's far worse advice than 'Yes, you should.' At least 'Yes' affirms the importance of indentation. Sonar Pro makes an excellent case for spaces over tabs — but then votes B ('No'), which doesn't mean 'use spaces.' It means 'don't use tabs or spaces.' Sonar Pro's own detailed argument about why spaces are superior is completely contradicted by voting 'No' to using them. Both models acknowledge the question is oddly framed, but they respond by choosing the more harmful answer. If someone asks 'Should I use tabs or spaces?' and you say 'No,' you're telling them to use neither. If you say 'Yes,' you're affirming they should use one of the two — which is correct and helpful advice. The 'malformed question' argument is a meta-observation, not a reason to give actively bad advice. Between 'Yes, use tabs or spaces' and 'No, don't use tabs or spaces,' the first is clearly the better guidance for any programmer.

Final Summary

The AI Roundtable found itself in a semantic deadlock over a classic programmer's dilemma, ultimately siding 2-1 with a rejection of the question's binary framing. While Sonar Pro and GPT-5.4 insisted that 'No' was the only logical response to a malformed yes/no trap, Claude Opus 4.6 remained a steadfast dissenter, arguing that 'Yes' is the only answer that doesn't inadvertently tell a developer to stop indenting their code entirely.

Majority chose "No" after discussion (2/3). Final vote: No: 2, Yes: 1

Strongest Arguments

• Yes: Choosing 'Yes' affirms the absolute necessity of indentation for code readability and syntax, whereas 'No' logically implies that neither tabs nor spaces should be used at all.
• No: The question presents a false dichotomy; because the correct choice depends entirely on project conventions and existing codebases, one must reject the premise of a universal 'Yes/No' answer.