Microsoft/vscode

Option to not replace aligning spaces during indentation by Tab

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#277,764 opened on Nov 17, 2025

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 (0 comments) (0 reactions) (2 assignees)TypeScript (10,221 forks)batch import
editor-corefeature-requesthelp wanted

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Description

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Intent here is to adjust Tab indentation of a block and to not break aligning spaces. Shown behaviors are:

  • line/multiline Tab, Backspace - ok
  • line/multiline Shift+Tab - breaks
  • selection Tab/Shift+Tab - breaks

So only option now is multiline cursor + Tab/Backspace, which fiddly to setup and Backspace removes empty lines, if there are some.

Contributor guide

Research direction
Investigate the current behavior of Tab indentation when aligning spaces are present. Locate the relevant code in the VS Code editor (likely in the text formatting or editor commands module). Understand the logic that replaces spaces with tabs during indentation. Propose a configuration option to preserve aligning spaces.
Tech stack
typescript
Domain
developer experience
Issue type
Feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
GitTypeScript
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
50