"Insert spaces for tabs" does not work in Eclipse

Keywords: text editor, eclipse, indention, tabs, spaces, whitespaces, white spaces, convert

"I have enabled the "Insert spaces for tabs" but there are still tabs fore tabs in editor that I am writing code. Why?"

Actually, there are other settings beside the setting for Text Editor. See below.

Java Editor

Click Window » Preferences

Expand Java » Code Style

Click Formatter

Click the Edit button

Click the Indentation tab

Under General Settings, set Tab policy to:

Spaces only

Click OK ad nauseum to apply the changes.

Default Text Editor

Before version 3.6:

Window->Preferences->Editors->Text Editors->Insert spaces for tabs

Version 3.6 and later:

Click Window » Preferences

Expand General » Editors

Click Text Editors

Check Insert spaces for tabs

Click OK ad nauseum to apply the changes.

Note that the default text editor is used as the basis for many non-Java editors in Eclipse. It's astonishing that this setting wasn't available until 3.3.

C / C++

Click Window » Preferences

Expand C/C++ » Code Style

Click Formatter

Click the New button to create a new profile, then OK to continue

Click the Indentation tab

Under General Settings, set Tab policy to:

Spaces only

Click OK ad nauseum to apply the changes.

HTML

Click Window » Preferences

Expand Web » HTML Files

Click Editor

Under Formatting, select the Indent using spaces radio button

Click OK to apply the changes.

CSS

Follow the same instructions for HTML, but select CSS Files instead of HTML Files.

JSP

By default, JSP files follow the formatting preferences for HTML Files.

XML

XML files spacing is configured in Preferences.

Click Window » Preferences

Expand XML » XML Files

Click Editor

Select Indent using spaces

You can specify the Indentation size if needed: number of spaces to indent.

Reference: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/407929/how-do-i-change-eclipse-to-use-spaces-instead-of-tabs