Stepping through results from "Find in Files" via F4 no longer highlights results in bottom results window

Divya Bolar · Jan 8, 2016, 1:42 AM

Hi all,
Using “Find in Files” in older versions of Notepad++ (roughly 5.7 or so) would highlight the results in the Results window (i.e. the lower window, not talking about the main window), and as you stepped through the results with F4, the highlight would move down by one to show you which result you were on. Now, this highlight no longer exists for me, and I can’t figure out a way to turn it on (again in the lower Results window).

Does anybody know how to re-enable this? It seems that Notepad++ lost this functionality around version 5.8-ish (yes I realize this is a while ago, but basically this is such an important feature I have to keep version 5.7 and not upgrade).

Thanks so much!
D

P.S. If this does question not make sense I can try to put a link to an image that will clarify.

Claudia Frank · Jan 8, 2016, 8:11 PM

Hello Divya-Bolar,

I’m using npp 6.8.8 on winows 7 x64 and I do have the folding sign (the - or + in the box) highlighted.
In addition, if you have the results shown you can right click on it and select collapse all.
Then by using F4 the related entry gets uncollapsed. Maybe this helps as well?

Cheers
Claudia

guy038 · Jan 8, 2016, 9:24 PM

Hi Claudia,

Divya Bolar is quite right about it !!

Strangely, the colours of the foreground and the background of the selected line, in the search result panel, can, still, be changed in the Style Configurator, in our recent versions !

Select the menu option Settings - Style Configurator…
Choose the entry Search result, at the end of the drop-down language list
Choose the entry Selected line, in the style list

-> You’ll notice, that this selected line, in the search result panel, should, normally, be displayed, with text in dark blue and a yellow background !

Unfortunately, this feature does NOT seem to work anymore :-((

So, Claudia, to clearly see what Divya means, just follow the few steps, below :

First, close any opened instance of Notepad++
Get the 5.7 version of Notepad++ ( July 2010 ), from the link below :

https://notepad-plus-plus.org/repository/5.x/5.7/

Download the npp.5.7.bin.7z archive, or the npp.5.7.bin.zip one
Create a new folder, named 570, at the root of C:\
Extract all the contents of the archive in C:\570, in order to get a locale N++ installation
Move to this C:\570 folder
Run Notepad++.exe ( v5.7 )
Load the change.log file
Open the Find dialog, with CTRL + F ( It has changed a lot , from that time, isn’t it ?! )
Enter the word Fix, in the Find what : zone
Click on the Find All in Current Document button

-> Well, the search result panel pops up and you should find 7 matches

Finally, hit, several times, on the F4 key, then, on the SHIFT + F4 shortcut : Do you get it ?
Now, in the search result panel, double-click on a line

-> This line is highlighted in yellow and the corresponding line, in the main document, is also selected !

To see the difference, with a recent N++ version :

Close this old 5.7 version of N++
Get back to your current N++ configuration
Start Notepad++ and open the change.log file
Then, follow the same steps as above

-> The changes are quite obvious, aren’t they ?!

Best Regards,

guy038

P.S. :

Of course, afterwards, just delete the 5.7 archive, as well as all the contents of the 570 folder !

Divya Bolar · Jan 8, 2016, 9:49 PM

Hi Guy,

Thanks for confirming this behavior.

So… Are there any solutions/ fixes in newer versions or do I have to stay with version 5.7???

Thanks!
Div

Claudia Frank · Jan 8, 2016, 10:07 PM

Hi guy038,

I see what you and propably Divya Bolar mean/meant.
If question was regarding highligthing each line in result window I totally agree,
if it was meant highlighting the file I would disagree. Nevertheless, regarding the find in files,
the “old” solution/highligthing was more obvious to the user then the new one.
The whole line coloured is more visible then the little folding icon.

Regarding the style configurator, you are right and now I remember that there was an issue I had too.
Cannot say which style (one of the globals) I wanted to change and didn’t work either.

Maybe when I have more time I will go through all of this global styles, not the language specifics,
and retest it.

And thank you for remembering me to delete the npp 5.7, my pc is getting more and more of these
test folders and test files which never gets deleted afterwards. :-D

Cheers
Claudia

Divya Bolar · Jan 8, 2016, 11:06 PM

Thanks much for your comments and help guys!! Yes that’s what I was referring to (i.e. highlighting each line); I liked that functionality!

I’ll post if I figure out any work-arounds through style-configuratory etc.

Best,
Div