php - echo a string, replacing nl with br and horizontal tabs with some html char -

for debugging want echo or print mysql html replacements nl , horizontal tabs.

$sql=" select     *     `mytable`;";

i can echo nl2br($sql); in order replace \n <br />. gives me screen output:

select * `mytable`;

now want swap horizontal tabs   in order indent them on screen.

what use instead of  , i've never liked it?

thanks

you use html <pre> tag.

echo '<pre>' . $sql . '</pre>';

OSX