Indentation converter

Teams and languages disagree about indentation: Python's PEP 8 asks for 4 spaces, most JavaScript and YAML projects use 2, Go uses tabs, and Makefiles require tabs. Code copied between projects or written in different editors often ends up with mixed indentation, which breaks Python and YAML and makes diffs noisy. This tool converts leading indentation consistently.

How to use it

1. Paste your code or text.
2. Choose the source indentation (tabs or a number of spaces) and the target.
3. Copy the converted result.

Example

Converting 4-space indentation to 2 spaces:

function greet(name) {
    if (name) {
        return 'Hi ' + name;
    }
}

becomes:

function greet(name) {
  if (name) {
    return 'Hi ' + name;
  }
}

Only leading whitespace changes; spaces inside lines and string contents are untouched.

Where indentation matters

• Python: indentation defines blocks. Mixing tabs and spaces raises TabError in Python 3.
• YAML: tabs are not allowed for indentation at all, and nesting depth must be consistent.
• Makefiles: recipe lines must start with a tab, or make reports missing separator.

Preventing the problem

• Add an .editorconfig file with indent_style and indent_size so every editor follows the same rules.
• Use a formatter such as Prettier, Black or gofmt in your editor and CI.
• Enable visible whitespace in your editor to spot stray tabs.