:set list
:set lcs=tab:\|\ " the last character is space!
The tab setting consists of two characters: | and a space. The first character is used once. The second character is repeated to fill the space that the tab normally occupies. See :h lcs.
Sample result:
However, setting the second character to space is not very helpful, as it is difficult to distinguish spaces followed by a tab, for instance. Consider changing it to another character, e.g.:
The
tab
setting consists of two characters:|
and a space. The first character is used once. The second character is repeated to fill the space that the tab normally occupies. See:h lcs
.Sample result:
However, setting the second character to space is not very helpful, as it is difficult to distinguish spaces followed by a tab, for instance. Consider changing it to another character, e.g.:
Sample result: