Question 1

How do I use detect-indent to keep indentation when editing JSON files?

Accepted Answer

Read the file as a string, use detect-indent to get the indent property, then pass it to JSON.stringify's space parameter. The README provides a clear example where it modifies a JSON file while preserving the original 4-space indentation.

Question 2

detect-indent vs regex for detecting indentation in code?

Accepted Answer

detect-indent uses a statistical algorithm that better handles edge cases like comment alignment, whereas regex might fail on irregular code. However, for simple, consistent indentation, regex could be faster and lighter, making detect-indent better for reliability in complex scenarios.

Question 3

Can detect-indent handle files with both tabs and spaces mixed?

Accepted Answer

It detects the dominant indentation type but doesn't explicitly handle mixed tabs and spaces within the same file. The algorithm focuses on the most common pattern, so mixed usage might lead to inaccurate results or fallback to default.

Question 4

How to integrate detect-indent into a Node.js build script?

Accepted Answer

Install it via npm, import it in your script, and use it on file strings before modifications. For instance, in a code generation tool, call detect-indent on template files to ensure new content matches the existing indentation style seamlessly.

Question 5

What are the alternatives to detect-indent for indentation detection?

Accepted Answer

Alternatives include using regex-based solutions, editor-specific APIs, or broader formatters like Prettier. detect-indent is unique for its focused reliability, but related projects like detect-indent-rs offer ports for other languages if Node.js isn't suitable.

Question 6

Does detect-indent work well with minified or compressed code?

Accepted Answer

It relies on line differences, so minified code with no indentation might return undefined or fallback. The algorithm is designed for readable code, making it less effective for files where indentation is stripped out entirely.

detect-indent

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