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Python Python Collections (2016, retired 2019) Lists Shopping List Take Three

Brendan Whiting
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Brendan Whiting
Front End Web Development Techdegree Graduate 84,738 Points
Posted by Brendan Whiting
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Brendan Whiting
Front End Web Development Techdegree Graduate 84,738 Points

How do you safely copy and paste python to avoid whitespace problems?

I took the code out of the Project Files downloads, opened up shopping_list_3.py in Sublime, then pasted it into Workspaces. I did some more coding in Workspaces, and then I tried running to code in the workspaces terminal and got this error:

IndentationError: unindent does not match any outer indentation level

I fixed it by copying my workspaces code back into Sublime and then back again, but this is a weird hack and I don't understand the problem. In Sublime I have "Spaces: 4", and in Workspaces I have "Tab Size: 4". Is that the same thing? It seems like it's telling me I'm not being consistent but I don't understand how I'm not.

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,248 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,248 Points

:point_right: You should not mix spaces and tabs in Python.

Python will work with either spaces or tabs, but to avoid problems you should be consistent about which you use. I find spaces are the most portable and prefer them for that reason. I also set the indent to 4, partly as a personal preference but it also seems to be a very popular setting.