[bug #23849] Tabs are replaced with dashes, making edit difficult to use

["R. Steven Rainwater" <INVALID NOREPLY gnu org>]

URL:
  <http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?23849>

                 Summary: Tabs are replaced with dashes, making edit
difficult to use
                 Project: GNU Midnight Commander
            Submitted by: steevithak
            Submitted on: Tuesday 07/15/2008 at 04:00
                Category: Editor
                Severity: 3 - Normal
                  Status: None
                 Privacy: Public
             Assigned to: None
             Open/Closed: Open
         Discussion Lock: Any
                 Release: 4.6.2-pre1
        Operating System: GNU/Linux

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Details:

When I hit F4 to edit a text file, Cooledit v3.11.5 loads but, unlike all
previous versions of MC, which I have used for many years, this version
obscures the text file by displaying strings of dashes, greater-than signs,
dots, and other gibberish in what should be whitespace within the document.
This makes the document difficult to read and it's incredibly annoying!

The editor should display what's actually in the file and not extra
characters that aren't really there! I now have to use another editor to
double check - is that dash really in the file or not?

MC already has a hex mode if I need to find out if a particular character is
a tab or space or whatever, so this doesn't add any new capabilities, it just
makes the editor hard to use.

I'm sure someone thought it was cool or useful for some obscure purpose but
it violates the WYSIWYG principle upon which the editor was previously based.
If someone really needs this "feature", please make it a configuration option
can be turned on in rare cases if someone wants it, so it doesn't make editing
annoying for the rest us! 

Example:

edit a text file containing this line of text:

"This is a test"

all previous versions of MC show actual text:

"This is a test"

new version of MC shows non-existent gibberish all around text, making it
difficult to read:

"<><>..<->This.<>is<---><><->a<---->test<---><><>."






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