Feature Request / Question: Soft Wrap at Vertical Edge (Column 80) regardless of window size

[PeterJones]

@fml2 said in Feature Request / Question: Soft Wrap at Vertical Edge (Column 80) regardless of window size:

To be usable by an end user, it needs a script that would calculate pixel width for the current font and also handle widows resize.

Which is why @Coises suggested that the plugin or PythonScript do the calculation, including getting the active window (or really, editor sub-window) size, the margins, and calculating character width based on the font size.

The one thing he didn’t suggest is hooking this function to a specific notification (for “handle windows resize”), but that was rather implied by the solution. In case you’re not sure, I believe that handling SCN_UPDATEUI is the right notification, because there isn’t one specific to resize. In PythonScript, that hook would be set using editor.callback(functionNameHere, [SCINTILLANOTIFICATION.UPDATEUI]) – so functionNameHere() would be the function that does the calculations and then sets the marginleft/marginright. (personally, I’d recommend just changing the margin-right based on the full width, rather than dividing it by 2 and splitting between left-and-right)

[PeterJones]

My rough implementation of @Coises suggestion is as follows

# encoding=utf-8
"""in response to https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/27351/

Trying to implement @Coises idea for setting the wrap to exactly 80
"""
from Npp import *
import ctypes
from ctypes import wintypes

# Define the RECT structure to match Win32 API
class RECT(ctypes.Structure):
    _fields_ = [
        ("left", wintypes.LONG),
        ("top", wintypes.LONG),
        ("right", wintypes.LONG),
        ("bottom", wintypes.LONG)
    ]

    def width(self):
        return self.right - self.left

    def height(self):
        return self.bottom - self.top

def pysc_setWrap80(ed=editor):
    #console.write("ed={}\n".format(ed))

    WRAPCHARS = 80

    # Setup the Win32 function prototype
    user32 = ctypes.windll.user32
    user32.GetClientRect.argtypes = [wintypes.HWND, ctypes.POINTER(RECT)]
    user32.GetClientRect.restype = wintypes.BOOL

    def get_window_size(hwnd):
        # 2. Instantiate the RECT structure
        rect = RECT()

        # 3. Call GetClientRect passing the rect by reference
        if user32.GetClientRect(hwnd, ctypes.byref(rect)):
            # 4. Parse the results
            # Client coordinates: top-left is always (0,0)
            return rect
        else:
            raise Exception("GetClientRect failed")

    sz = get_window_size(ed.hwnd)
    #console.write("{} => {}\n".format(ed.hwnd, {"width": sz.width(), "height": sz.height()}))

    usableWidth = sz.width()
    for m in range(0, 1+ed.getMargins()):
        w = ed.getMarginWidthN(m)
        usableWidth -= w
        #console.write("m#{}: {} => usableWidth: {}\n".format(m, w, usableWidth))

    widthWrappedChars = ed.textWidth(0,"_"*WRAPCHARS)+1 # one extra pixel to be able to show the VerticalEdge indicator line
    wantMargin = usableWidth - widthWrappedChars
    if wantMargin < 1:
        wantMargin = 0
    #console.write("{}\n".format({"windowWidth": sz.width(), "usableWidth": usableWidth, "pixelsFor80Char": widthWrappedChars, "wantMargin": wantMargin}))
    ed.setMarginRight(wantMargin)
    ed.setMarginLeft(0)

def pysc_setWrap80e1(args=None):
    pysc_setWrap80(editor1)

def pysc_setWrap80e2(args=None):
    pysc_setWrap80(editor2)

def pysc_setWrap80eX(args=None):
    pysc_setWrap80(editor)

editor.callback(pysc_setWrap80eX, [SCINTILLANOTIFICATION.PAINTED])
console.write("SetWrap80 registered callback\n")

(this script tested in PythonScript 3)

The FAQ (https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/23039/faq-how-to-install-and-run-a-script-in-pythonscript) explains how to run a script, or how to make it run automatically at startup

The script registers the PAINTED notification – I found that UPDATEUI doesn’t happen everytime you change the window width, whereas PAINTED does… but it means that the callback is running a lot. I wish I knew of a notification that was better suited to just-on-resize, but I don’t. Maybe one of the other PythonScript experts can chime in with a better notification to use (or other suggestions for improvements). I just figured I’d do a proof of concept.

If you aren’t changing window size all that often, then it would be better to make a copy of that script that just re-adjusts the 80-character margin on demand (ie, when you run the script) by not using the editor.callback(...) line, and instead just calling pysc_setWrap80(editor) at the end.

[Alan Kilborn]

@PeterJones said:

I wish I knew of a notification that was better suited to just-on-resize

Hook the message loop and look for WM_SIZE messages?

[PeterJones]

@Alan-Kilborn ,

Okay, since I didn’t know how to hook the message loop I found this old post by you (I remembered you had done it for the alt+scrollwheel, thankfully), and I was able to use that as a basis for a two-file solution to @fml2’s request

file 1: MsgHooker.py

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
# original author: @Alan-Kilborn
# reference: https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/100127
# modified by: @PeterJones
#   - updated to add the .unhook() and .__del__() methods

import platform
from ctypes import (WinDLL, WINFUNCTYPE)
from ctypes.wintypes import (HWND, INT, LPARAM, UINT, WPARAM)

user32 = WinDLL('user32')

GWL_WNDPROC = -4  # used to set a new address for the window procedure

LRESULT = LPARAM

WndProcType = WINFUNCTYPE(
    LRESULT,  # return type
    HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM  # function arguments
    )

running_32bit = platform.architecture()[0] == '32bit'
SetWindowLong = user32.SetWindowLongW if running_32bit else user32.SetWindowLongPtrW
SetWindowLong.restype = WndProcType
SetWindowLong.argtypes = [ HWND, INT, WndProcType ]

class MH(object):

    def __init__(self,
            hwnd_to_hook_list,
            hook_function,  # supplied hook_function must have args:  hwnd, msg, wparam, lparam
                            #  and must return True/False (False means the function handled the msg)
            msgs_to_hook_list=None,  # None means ALL msgs
            ):
        self.users_hook_fn = hook_function
        self.msg_list = msgs_to_hook_list if msgs_to_hook_list is not None else []
        self.new_wnd_proc_hook_for_SetWindowLong = WndProcType(self._new_wnd_proc_hook)  # the result of this call must be a self.xxx variable!
        self.orig_wnd_proc_by_hwnd_dict = {}
        for h in hwnd_to_hook_list:
            self.orig_wnd_proc_by_hwnd_dict[h] = SetWindowLong(h, GWL_WNDPROC, self.new_wnd_proc_hook_for_SetWindowLong)
            v = self.orig_wnd_proc_by_hwnd_dict[h]
            #print(f"add {h:08x} => {v}")

    def __del__(self):
        self.unhook()

    def unhook(self):
        #print(f"unhook: self:{self} => <{self.orig_wnd_proc_by_hwnd_dict}>");
        mykeys = []
        for h in self.orig_wnd_proc_by_hwnd_dict.keys():
            orig = self.orig_wnd_proc_by_hwnd_dict[h]
            print(f"\tdel {h:08x} => {orig}")
            SetWindowLong(h, GWL_WNDPROC, orig)
            mykeys.append(h)
        for h in mykeys:
            del self.orig_wnd_proc_by_hwnd_dict[h]

    def _new_wnd_proc_hook(self, hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam):
        retval = True  # assume that this message will go unhandled (by us)
        need_to_call_orig_proc = True
        if len(self.msg_list) == 0 or msg in self.msg_list:
            retval = self.users_hook_fn(hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam)
            if not retval: need_to_call_orig_proc = False
        if need_to_call_orig_proc:
            retval = self.orig_wnd_proc_by_hwnd_dict[hwnd](hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam)

        return retval

file 2: the main script:

# encoding=utf-8
"""in response to https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/27351/

Trying to implement @Coises idea for setting the wrap to exactly 80
"""
from Npp import *
import ctypes
from ctypes import wintypes
from MsgHooker import MH as MsgHook
WM_SIZE = 0x0005

# Define the RECT structure to match Win32 API
class RECT(ctypes.Structure):
    _fields_ = [
        ("left", wintypes.LONG),
        ("top", wintypes.LONG),
        ("right", wintypes.LONG),
        ("bottom", wintypes.LONG)
    ]

    def width(self):
        return self.right - self.left

    def height(self):
        return self.bottom - self.top

def pysc_setWrap80(ed=editor):
    #console.write("ed={}\n".format(ed))

    WRAPCHARS = 80

    # Setup the Win32 function prototype
    user32 = ctypes.windll.user32
    user32.GetClientRect.argtypes = [wintypes.HWND, ctypes.POINTER(RECT)]
    user32.GetClientRect.restype = wintypes.BOOL

    def get_window_size(hwnd):
        # 2. Instantiate the RECT structure
        rect = RECT()

        # 3. Call GetClientRect passing the rect by reference
        if user32.GetClientRect(hwnd, ctypes.byref(rect)):
            # 4. Parse the results
            # Client coordinates: top-left is always (0,0)
            return rect
        else:
            raise Exception("GetClientRect failed")

    sz = get_window_size(ed.hwnd)
    #console.write("{} => {}\n".format(ed.hwnd, {"width": sz.width(), "height": sz.height()}))

    usableWidth = sz.width()
    for m in range(0, 1+ed.getMargins()):
        w = ed.getMarginWidthN(m)
        usableWidth -= w
        #console.write("m#{}: {} => usableWidth: {}\n".format(m, w, usableWidth))

    widthWrappedChars = ed.textWidth(0,"_"*WRAPCHARS)+1 # one extra pixel to be able to show the VerticalEdge indicator line
    wantMargin = usableWidth - widthWrappedChars
    if wantMargin < 1:
        wantMargin = 0
    #console.write("{}\n".format({"windowWidth": sz.width(), "usableWidth": usableWidth, "pixelsFor80Char": widthWrappedChars, "wantMargin": wantMargin}))
    ed.setMarginRight(wantMargin)
    ed.setMarginLeft(0)

def HIWORD(value): return (value >> 16) & 0xFFFF
def LOWORD(value): return value & 0xFFFF

def pysc_size_callback( hwnd, msg, wParam, lParam):
    #console.write(f"cb(h:{hwnd}, m:{msg}, w:{wParam}, l:{lParam}) => {LOWORD(lParam)} x {HIWORD(lParam)}\n")
    if hwnd == editor1.hwnd:
        pysc_setWrap80(editor1)
    elif hwnd == editor2.hwnd:
        pysc_setWrap80(editor2)
    return True

pysc_setWrap80(editor1)
pysc_setWrap80(editor2)
pysc_size_hook = MsgHook([ editor1.hwnd, editor2.hwnd ], pysc_size_callback, [WM_SIZE])
console.write("SetWrap80 registered WM_SIZE callback\n")

def pysc_unsetWrap80(args=None):
    """
    To stop
    pysc_unsetWrap80()
    """
    editor1.setMarginRight(0)
    editor2.setMarginRight(0)
    global pysc_size_hook
    if pysc_size_hook:
        pysc_size_hook.unhook()
    del pysc_size_hook

# use the following in the console (no #) to stop it from always wrapping at 80
#
# pysc_unsetWrap80()

You run the main script (or call it from startup.py) to get it to start watching for WM_SIZE, and when it gets that, it does the calcs needed to keep the wrap margin at 80 characters (+1 pixel so that the Vertical Edge line would be visible if you’ve got it on)

Both scripts should go in the main %AppData%\Notepad++\plugins\Config\PythonScript\scripts directory (or equivalent for non-AppData setups, or you need to have added their parent directory to sys.path)

[fml2]

Thank you all for the great proposals and for showing what is possible in NP++. However, I find the solution (to the problem I rarely have) a bit too complicated. In the cases I need wrapping at a specific position I’d hence rather use the proposal of @Coises with a side panel. Or resize the window.

[guy038]

Hello, @thorsten-heuer, @h-jangra, @fml2, @coises, @m-andre-z-eckenrode, @peterjones, @alan-kilborn and All,

Here is other way to get something CLOSE to a soft wrap at column 80, using the Dstraction Free Mode feature of Notepad++

This method do a soft wrap at column 81 ( cannot do better ! )

Of course, I suppose that it depends of the width of the current screen (Personally, my laptop screen is 34,5 cm wide). Thus, some adjustments will certainly be required !

However, the nice thing is that the Distraction Free Mode use the totality of your current screen, even if you run N++, in a narrowed window !

---

• In a new tab, paste this text :

1234567890
123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901
123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901
123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901
123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901
123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901
1234567890

As you can see, it contains 5 lines of 81 characters

• Select Settings > Shortcut Mapper... > Main

• Move to line 196

• Attibute the F9 shortcut to the Distraction Free Mode (or any other if already used !)

• Valid and exit the Shortcut Mapper

• Select the View > Word wrap option, if necessary

• In the Toolbar, un-select the Show All Characters icon ( ¶ ), if necessary

• Select The default zoom ( Ctrl + / )

• Then, increase the zoom value by 3 times ( Ctrl + + 3 times )

• Select Settings > Preferences... > Margins/Border/Edge > Padding

• Select the 0 value for the left and right options

• Select the 5 value for the Distraction Free option

• Hit the Close button

• Select Settings > Style Configurator...> Font Style

• Choose one of these monospaced fonts Aptos - Courier New - DejaVu Sans Mono - Lucida Console - Lucida Sans Typewriter

• Click on the Save & Close button

Now :

• Switch to the new tab, mentionned above

• Hit the F9 key to get the Free Distraction Mode

• Move at the end of a line containing 81 characters

• Add the digit 2 => the current line is split and the 2 digit is reported at beginning of next line !

---

Again, it works with my configuration but just adapt to your needs !

Best Regards

guy038

Remainder :

Don’t use the Alt + Tab shortcut to switch to an other application, when using the N++ Distraction Free Mode as hitting again on the F9 key will not return to normal N++ view !

Simply repeat the Alt + Tab operation to return to N++ first and then hit the F9 shortcut

[Coises]

@Thorsten-Heuer , @fml2 , @PeterJones :

I made a simple plugin to do this, which you can find here:

https://github.com/Coises/Marginalize/

There is a limitation to this method of wrapping. This is true whether you drag the window edge, open a panel or use a script or a plugin:

In most contexts, such as in a browser, soft wrapping replaces a space with a new line when breaking between words. When Scintilla wraps plain text at a space, the space is still included on the line before the wrap. So a word that should fit exactly to the margin will be pushed to the next line instead, because there isn’t room for the space.

When a language other than “None (Normal Text)” is in effect, spaces can be pushed to the beginning of a line. (I think what happens is that lines can wrap at any point where the style changes, but I haven’t verified that.)

Either way, you will not get exactly what soft wrapping normally is, because Scintilla always displays spaces somewhere when wrapping on a space.

---

Like @PeterJones, I was surprised to find that SCN_UPDATEUI isn’t issued when the window is resized… but not too surprised, since I had already come across another situation, zooming, where you would expect it to trigger, but it doesn’t.

So at first I tried trapping SCN_UPDATEUI and SCN_ZOOM and also subclassing the two Scintilla controls to watch for WM_SIZE messages. I wondered, though, what else might not be included in SCN_UPDATEUI that I didn’t know. I decided that, at least working in C++, there was no obvious advantage to avoiding SCN_PAINTED, which I think is bound to catch everything that matters, without getting into subclassing. Note that SCN_UPDATEUI itself is called quite often, too — I’m not really sure how much worse SCN_PAINTED can be than SCN_UPDATEUI plus a hook or a subclass.

It appears that setting the margins can at least sometimes cause a repaint even when the new margins are the same as the old. In any case, I found it necessary to be especially careful that a window too narrow to allow for the specified width didn’t create some very strange artifacts by repeatedly setting the margins to zero when they already were zero.

[fml2]

@Coises Thank you for the quick implementation! If enebaled, it applies to all documets, not just the current one, right?

[guy038]

Hello, @coises and All,

I’ve just tried you last Marginalize plugin and the results are awesome !

It’s particularly the case when using the Center the workspace option, in Plugins > Marginalize > Settings, which mimics the Distraction Free Mode, while retaining the standard screen !

I’m sure that this plugin will become a MUST very soon for any N++ user !

Many thanks, again, for this valuable plugin !

Best Regards,

guy038

[Coises]

@fml2 said in Feature Request / Question: Soft Wrap at Vertical Edge (Column 80) regardless of window size:

@Coises Thank you for the quick implementation! If enebaled, it applies to all documets, not just the current one, right?

Yes, I made it a single toggle for all documents in both views.

It would be possible, but considerably more complex, to track documents and enable/disable per document. (I do it with elastic tabstops in Columns++.)