====== VIM - Config - Indentation - Indentation with spaces ======

To indent with only spaces, and not with tabs.

<code>
set expandtab
set shiftwidth=2
set softtabstop=2
</code>

<WRAP info>
**NOTE:**  These settings will result in spaces being used for all indentation.

  * The principle is to set **expandtab**, and **set shiftwidth** and **set softtabstop** to the same value, while leaving **tabstop** at its default value.

  * **expandtab** affects what happens when you press the **<TAB>** key.
    * If **expandtab** is set, pressing the **<TAB>** key will always insert **softtabstop** amount of space characters.
    * Otherwise, the amount of spaces inserted is minimized by using TAB characters.

  * **shiftwidth** affects what happens when you press **>>**, **<<** or **==**.
    * It also affects how automatic indentation works.

  * **softtabstop** affects what happens when you press the **<TAB>** or **<BS>** keys.
    * Its default value is the same as the value of **tabstop**, but when using indentation without hard tabs or mixed indentation, you want to set it to the same value as **shiftwidth**.
    * If **expandtab** is unset, and **tabstop** is different from **softtabstop**, the **<TAB>** key will minimize the amount of spaces inserted by using multiples of TAB characters.
      * For instance, if **tabstop** is 8, and the amount of consecutive space inserted is 20, two TAB characters and four spaces will be used.
</WRAP>