Misplaced highlights when tabs are used instead of spaces

[rusproject]

Hello! I don't know if it is a SublimeLinter-phpcs or SublimeLinter or even PHP_Code_Sniffer problem, so If I opened the issue in a wrong place, please point me where I should do it.

The problem is: When CodeSniffer highlight errors on lines that is indented with tabs, not spaces, even if the tabs are allowed by rules, we get misplaced highlights.

Here's what I mean:

Expected look (tabs are converted to spaces):

[kaste]

Hm, probably https://github.com/squizlabs/PHP_CodeSniffer/wiki/Configuration-Options#setting-the-default-tab-width

It looks like phpcs reports the same line:column pair for both cases, which would mean it interprets one tab has a width of 4 spaces/characters. Maybe setting a tab-width can fix the problem.

[rusproject]

It was already tab-width=4 in my ruleset:

    <arg name="tab-width" value="0"/>

I've tried to set tab-width=0 or delete it, and then highlights were in right places. But it's leading us to another problem, incorrect work of Generic.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent rule:

I tried to configure rule like this:

    <rule ref="Generic.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent">
        <properties>
            <property name="indent" value="4" />
            <property name="tabIndent" value="true" />
        </properties>
    </rule>

and this:

    <rule ref="Generic.WhiteSpace.ScopeIndent">
        <properties>
            <!-- <property name="indent" value="4" /> -->
            <property name="tabIndent" value="true" />
        </properties>
    </rule>

But it gives the same result: phpcs tells expected 1 tabs, found 1 spaces although there are really 1 tab in the code.

So I don't think that it's the proper way to configure indent rules with tab-width=0.

According to this gist we really need to set tab-width=4, as it was in my rules from the beginning.

Btw, if we use ruleset from that gist above, we get exactly same problem with misplaced highlights.

So I think it is not a configuration problem, but some bug. Can't figure out where - phpcs, st-linter, or st-linter-phpcs.

[kaste]

I looked at ale, a vim plugin, and they actually do the same as we do here. I did not find a similar issue over there, so I would suggest asking on the phpcs forum for some advice and help. I don't see what we could do wrong here, and it looks like phpcs reports columns with tabs expanded. Did you check this happens also on the command line?

[rusproject]

looks like phpcs reports columns with tabs expanded

I don't think this is the problem, LSP reports same line:column but highlights correctly:

[kaste]

Heh? Here it looks like it reports 9:3 which is clearly tabs-not-expanded style. In the original post it looked like it reported 9:9. What does it report on the command line in --report=emacs mode?

[kaste]

Also this is intelephense. Does this use phpcs under the hood?

[rusproject]

Heh? Here it looks like it reports 9:3 which is clearly tabs-not-expanded style. In the original post it looked like it reported 9:9. What does it report on the command line in --report=emacs mode?

Yes, sorry, looked at the wrong screenshot.

--report=emacs reports same line:column with tabs-expanded style, just like Sublime linter panel:

C:\Users\Alex>phpcs --report=emacs --standard=D:\example\phpcs.xml D:\example\test.php
D:\example\test.php:7:5: error - Visibility must be declared on method "__construct"
D:\example\test.php:9:9: warning - Inline control structures are not allowed

Also this is intelephense. Does this use phpcs under the hood?

Can't find that information quickly.

[kaste]

As I understand the documentation, tab-width MUST NOT be set because it dictates if tabs are converted to spaces. Of course you then have to change the scope-ident rule because its defaults are wrong after that, e.g. you expect 1 indent as it now counts 1 tab but the default is 4, typically 4 spaces but 4 tabs if tabIndent is set.

If you see "found n spaces" it indicates it converted tabs to spaces. But it might translate 1 tab to 1 space instead of 4. Then the markers are drawn correctly as the column is reported as we expect it but other rules have to be adjusted as well.

[rusproject]

Thank you for detailed response. Anyway, why is it so complicated... Can't it be like ESlint for example? With clear list of available rules, and obvious ways to use them.

[kaste]

I don't know why phpcs made their decisions.