2.2.M. The "Civil War" Algorithm (Tabs vs. Spaces)
Metric: Layout Unity (Indentation Polarization)
Summary: While colloquially referred to as "Civil War," this equation measures Layout Unity. It visualizes the structural formatting consistency of a file by calculating the ratio of space-indented lines to tab-indented lines.
Effect: This metric bypasses the Universal Risk Spectrum because it does not measure escalating danger. Instead, it uses a custom Diverging Spectrum. * 🟩 TABS (Score 0-19): Pure Tabs. Glowing Green (
#39ff14). Emissive intensity is maxed. * 🟦 MIXED (Score 20-79): The "War Zone". Maximum conflict sits at exactly \(50\). Deep Blue (#0000ff). Triggers the "Bifurcation Shimmer" (geometry flickering). * 🟨 SPACES (Score 80-100): Pure Spaces. Glowing Yellow (#ffff00). Emissive intensity is maxed.
2.2.M.1. The Philosophy: The Linear Polarization Model
By mapping Tabs to \(0\) and Spaces to \(100\), the "War Zone" (a 50/50 mix of indentation styles) naturally falls into the center of the spectrum (Score \(50\)).
This visually exposes files that lack a unified formatting standard. A file glowing bright green or bright yellow is unified and clean. A file glowing deep blue is structurally fractured, indicating that multiple developers with conflicting IDE configurations are fighting over the layout.
2.2.M.2. The Inputs (Indentation Context)
The scanner counts the absolute number of lines that lead with either tabs or spaces.
| Variable | Source | Structural Definition |
|---|---|---|
indent_tabs |
Scanner | Count of lines starting with one or more Tabs. |
indent_spaces |
Scanner | Count of lines starting with one or more Spaces. |
2.2.M.3. The Equation: The Polarization Ratio
Step A: Gather Indentation Context We calculate the total number of lines that contain measurable indentation context. If a file has no indentation at all, it defaults to the neutral center (\(50\)).
Step B: Calculate Space-Ratio (\(R\)) We calculate the percentage of indented lines that are controlled by spaces. A result of \(0.0\) means \(100\%\) Tabs. A result of \(1.0\) means \(100\%\) Spaces.
Step C: Final Score Mapping We map the ratio to a standard \(0-100\) visual scale.
2.2.M.4. Implementation (Python Reference)
```python def _calc_civil_war(self, eq: Dict[str, int]) -> float: """ Calculates Layout Unity (Tabs vs Spaces). 0 = Pure Tabs (Green), 100 = Pure Spaces (Yellow), 50 = War Zone (Blue). """ tab_lines = eq.get('indent_tabs', 0) space_lines = eq.get('indent_spaces', 0)
l_total = tab_lines + space_lines
# Handle Void States (No indentation at all)
if l_total == 0:
return 50.0 # Default to Neutral Blue
# Calculate Space-Ratio (R)
space_ratio = space_lines / l_total
# Final Score Mapping (0-100)
return space_ratio * 100.0