# Replace all tab characters with spaces

Replace each tab with a fixed number of spaces.

Canonical: https://1loc.dev/string/replace-all-tab-characters-with-spaces/
Version: 1.0.0
Runtime: JavaScript · Node.js 22 / modern browsers
Verification: Local fixtures; no external services
Updated: 2026-10-28

## Implementation

```javascript
function tabsToSpaces({ text, spaces }) { return text.replaceAll('\t', ' '.repeat(spaces)); }
```

## Input

```json
{
  "text": "\tindented",
  "spaces": 2
}
```

## Expected output

```json
"  indented"
```

## Edge case

Input:
```json
{
  "text": "a\tb",
  "spaces": 0
}
```
Output:
```json
"ab"
```

## Limits

- This does not align to tab stops; every tab becomes the same width.

The lab validates types and size before calling this function. Add equivalent validation at your own trust boundary.

## Source and license

Original: https://github.com/phuocng/1loc/blob/14b481cf60dff1620ab1bb99a43b1f68068cdd9b/contents/replace-all-tab-characters-with-spaces.mdx
Author: Nguyen Huu Phuoc and original contributors
Contributors: See original repository history
Source commit: 14b481cf60dff1620ab1bb99a43b1f68068cdd9b
Copyright (c) 2020 phuoc-ng
License: MIT — https://1loc.dev/licenses/
Maintainer: Oveyon
Modifications: Curated implementation; explicit input contract, edge case and limits. Original MDX retained as inert source evidence.