[Dev-C++] How to configure auto-indent?

[Len P. <le...@ph...>]

I'm using Dev-C++ 4.9.9.0 (phenomenal product, by the way!) and have 
a question about the behavior of autoindent and how to adjust it. 
Maybe I'm just overlooking something, but...

First off, I'm using spaces, not tabs (although, I'd /prefer/ tabs, 
more below [1]), a tab size of 4, no SmartTabs, Autoindent enabled, 
cursor past EOL/EOF both disabled, trim trailing spaces enabled.

Let's say I have this :

        case WM_COMMAND:
        {

Right after the {, I hit Enter and the cursor goes down one line and 
over 4 spaces, out in "virtual space". If I type a character, the 
leading space is filled with spaces, as expected. If I backspace, and 
then tab over to the column of the opening brace and type a 
character, it appears in colum one and I have to "tab it over" to the 
right column.

Apparently, hitting Tab after an autoindent has taken place often 
doesn't insert anything into the file, tab or space. It just moves 
over in virtual space. Apparently there are two things at play here, 
maybe just something I don't understand, but - 1) tabs aren't 
(always) treated as whitespace and 2) the autoindent doesn't go where 
I'd /prefer/[2] it go.

Is there any way to modify this?

[1] I'd really rather use real tabs, with the value still at 4, but 
that causes the enhanced home key behavior to break, since apparently 
it doesn't see the tabs as whitespace over which to "cycle" (for lack 
of a better term). The cursor just sits on the first non-space 
character regardless of how many time you hit Home.

What I'd like is fairly simple -

1. Hitting Tab just inserts n (4 in my case) spaces (or preferably a 
real tab character) from the current column, adjusted to line up as 
you'd expect, backfilling to start-of-line if the cursor wasn't at 
column 1 when the Tab key was hit.

and...

2. Hitting Enter simply inserts a line and tabs the cursor over to 
the column of the first non-whitespace character on the line above.

That's all...

[2] I realize we all have preferences, which is why I'm looking for a 
way to customize this, rather than simply complain about it. :-)

OR --- Is there way to use an external editor? I know, that kinda 
defeats the purpose of an IDE, but I thought I'd at least ask...

Thanks!

-- 
 Len Philpot                          ><> 
 le...@ph...       http://philpot.org/