>Because not everyone uses the same indent or tab size and it's a major pain in the posterior to line everything up.

Huh? Your CHR(9) may not be my CHR(9( - but the tabs should still line up.

>
>>Why is the first one easier to maintain? To me, it's the inverse.
>>
>>>I prefer the first. It's easier to maintain. Also, if you're looking for readability, add white space around * and +