32.17.5 Adjustable "Tab Stops"

This section explains the mechanism for user-specified "tab stops" and the mechanisms that use and set them. The name "tab stops" is used because the feature is similar to that of the tab stops on a typewriter. The feature works by inserting an appropriate number of spaces and tab characters to reach the next tab stop column; it does not affect the display of tab characters in the buffer (see section 38.16 Usual Display Conventions). Note that the TAB character as input uses this tab stop feature only in a few major modes, such as Text mode.

Command: tab-to-tab-stop

This command inserts spaces or tabs before point, up to the next tab stop column defined by tab-stop-list. It searches the list for an element greater than the current column number, and uses that element as the column to indent to. It does nothing if no such element is found.

User Option: tab-stop-list

This variable is the list of tab stop columns used by tab-to-tab-stops. The elements should be integers in increasing order. The tab stop columns need not be evenly spaced.

Use M-x edit-tab-stops to edit the location of tab stops interactively.