"OVERWRITE" in column mode

Alan Kilborn

Does Notepad++ support “OVERWRITE” in column mode?

Based on the information provided, and some experimentation on my part, I’d say the answer is Yes.

But see HERE.

jiskapav

Thank you for your reply and apologize for very little information about the actual problem. I will try to specify it in more details. I am using Notepad++ 7.8.8 release. The relevant information about my installation is bellow.

Notepad++ v7.8.8   (32-bit)
Build time : Jun 24 2020 - 00:15:36
Path : C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
OS Name : Windows 10 Enterprise (64-bit) 
OS Version : 1909
OS Build : 18363.836
Current ANSI codepage : 1250
Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll NppExport.dll

The main use of Notepad++ is for text edditing. I am working quite a lot with big mattrices with multiple rows and columns (let’s assume 20x20) and it is based on copy -> paste. I would like to ask if it is possible, to

Example
We want to replace MATRIX ‘b’ (20x20) by MATRIX ‘a’ (20x20).

Select MATRIX ‘a’: Left Alt + Mouse
Copy: Ctrl + C
Make sure you have OVERWRITE mode

Place cursor in front of X in first row of matrix ‘b’
Paste: Ctrl + V

The result is shown here (MATRIX ‘b’ is just indented to the right - not overwriten!) :

Required result is here (just overwriten MATRIX ‘b’ by MATRIX ‘a’):

This example shows, that in OVERWRITE mode pasting does not work. Is there any option to switch on the OVERWRITE mode? Why pasting of the text string indents existing text?

Thank you for your advices.
@jiskapav

guy038

Hello, @jiskapav, @alan-kilborn and All,

Well, the Pasting process with Ctrl + V is totally independent of the status of the Insert key ( INS / OVR ) !

Let’s suppose you have this text :

12345 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ

And that you want to paste the string 12345 over the string EFGHI in order to get the string ABCD12345JKLMNOPQ

So :

Do a normal selection of the string 12345
Hit the Ctrl + C shortcut
Place the caret between letters D and E
Choose the Overwrite mode
Hit the Ctrl + V shortcut
Instead of overwriting the string EFGHI, the 12345 string is simply inserted between letters D and E

Note that we would get exactly the same result if the Insertion mode would have been previously selected !

So the right way to overwrite some text, while pasting an other text is to select the text to be overwritten, first and, then, paste :

Do a normal selection of the string 12345
Hit the Ctrl + C shortcut
Place the caret between letters D and E
Select the string EFGHI
The Insertion or Overwrite mode does NOT matter
Hit the Ctrl + V shortcut

=> This time the 12345 string does overwrite the EFGHI string

This behavior is exactly the same when the Column Mode is involved !

Let’s suppose the text :

12345 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ
12345 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ
12345 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ
12345 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQ

Do a rectangular selection of the 12345 digits block
Hit the Ctrl + C shortcut
Then, place the caret on the first line, between the letters D and E
Hit the Ctrl + V shortcut

=> The bloc of digits is simply inserted between all letters D and E

Now, hit the Ctrl + Z shortcut to undo this insertion
Place the caret on the first line, between the letters D and E
With the keyboard or the mouse, associated to the Alt key, do a rectangular selection of the block of four lines EFGHI
Hit, again, the Ctrl + V shortcut

=> This time, the block of digits 12345 does overwrite the block of letters EFGHI !

So, @jiskapav, the solution to your problem is :

Firstly, do a column selection of all your Matrix b contents
Secondly paste your Matrix a contents with a Ctrl + V operation

Best Regards,

guy038

Alan Kilborn

@jiskapav

I think maybe the OP has a point about this.
It would be useful to not have to select the shape of the destination block for this type of paste.

While Notepad++ can’t do it natively, I wrote a Pythonscript that can do it.
I call it PasteSpecialRectangularOverwrite.py (or PSRO for short):

# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-

# see https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/19643/overwrite-in-column-mode

from Npp import editor, notepad
import ctypes

# this doesn't belong to the main object in this script, because it could be shared among several scripts
try:
    editor3h  # we already have editor1 and editor2 objects, so create a 3rd that is hidden, thus "3h"
except NameError:
    editor3h = notepad.createScintilla()

class MsgboxAndQuitException(Exception):
    def __init__(self, message): self.msg = message

class PSRO(object):

    def clipboard_get_text(self):
        editor3h.setText('')
        editor3h.paste()
        paste_buffer_text = editor3h.getText()
        return editor3h.getText()

    def clipboard_contains_column_block_text(self):
        # from Notepad++'s ScintillaWin.cxx file:
        #  // There does not seem to be a real standard for indicating that the clipboard
        #  // contains a rectangular selection, so copy Developer Studio and Borland Delphi.
        #  cfColumnSelect = static_cast<CLIPFORMAT>(
        #      ::RegisterClipboardFormat(TEXT("MSDEVColumnSelect")));
        #  cfBorlandIDEBlockType = static_cast<CLIPFORMAT>(
        #      ::RegisterClipboardFormat(TEXT("Borland IDE Block Type")));
        cb_OpenClipboard = ctypes.windll.user32.OpenClipboard
        cb_CloseClipboard = ctypes.windll.user32.CloseClipboard
        cb_EnumClipboardFormats = ctypes.windll.user32.EnumClipboardFormats
        cb_GetClipboardFormatName = ctypes.windll.user32.GetClipboardFormatNameW
        cb_OpenClipboard(None)
        cf = cb_EnumClipboardFormats(0)
        while cf != 0:
            max_size = 500
            buffer = ctypes.create_unicode_buffer(max_size + 1)
            cb_GetClipboardFormatName(cf, ctypes.byref(buffer), max_size)
            if len(buffer.value) > 0 and (buffer.value == u'MSDEVColumnSelect' or buffer.value == u'Borland IDE Block Type'):
                cb_CloseClipboard()
                return True
            cf = cb_EnumClipboardFormats(cf)
        cb_CloseClipboard()
        return False

    def __init__(self):
        if not editor.canPaste(): return
        if len(editor.getSelText()) > 0 or \
                editor.getSelections() != 1 or \
                not editor.getOvertype() or \
                not self.clipboard_contains_column_block_text():
            editor.paste();  # normal paste
            return
        try:
            if editor.getUseTabs(): raise MsgboxAndQuitException('Using tab chars in a document does not make sense in this application')
            clipboard_contents = self.clipboard_get_text()
            tab_char = '\t'
            if tab_char in clipboard_contents: raise MsgboxAndQuitException('Tab characters in the clipboard data does not make sense in this application')
            clipboard_row_list = re.split(r'\r?\n', clipboard_contents)
            num_rows_in_clipboard = len(clipboard_row_list)
            clipboard_row_length = len(clipboard_row_list[0])
            for row in clipboard_row_list:
                if len(row) != clipboard_row_length: raise MsgboxAndQuitException('Rows in clipboard have differing lengths -- not allowed')
            curr_pos = editor.getCurrentPos()
            caret_line_number = editor.lineFromPosition(curr_pos)
            if caret_line_number + num_rows_in_clipboard > editor.getLineCount(): raise MsgboxAndQuitException('Not enough lines in document to do paste')
            caret_column_number = editor.getColumn(curr_pos)
            for n in range(num_rows_in_clipboard):  # this loop just tests for bad conditions
                line = editor.getLine(caret_line_number + n).rstrip('\n\r')
                if caret_column_number + clipboard_row_length > len(line): raise MsgboxAndQuitException('Not enough columns to over-paste')
                if tab_char in line[ : caret_column_number]: raise MsgboxAndQuitException('Unexpected tab character in destination line')
            editor.beginUndoAction()
            for n in range(num_rows_in_clipboard):
                line = editor.getLine(caret_line_number + n).rstrip('\n\r')
                line = line[ : caret_column_number] + clipboard_row_list[n] + line[caret_column_number + clipboard_row_length :]
                editor.replaceLine(caret_line_number + n, line)
            editor.endUndoAction()
            editor.setEmptySelection(curr_pos)
        except MsgboxAndQuitException as e:
            notepad.messageBox(e.msg, 'PasteSpecialRectangularOverwrite')
            return

if __name__ == '__main__': PSRO()

Here’s the OP’s test data in text rather than image format, if anyone wants to try out the script on the originally discussed example:

|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  X  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |
|  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  |  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  |

Alan Kilborn

@Ekopalypse

Hello, Eko, Python question related to the above script, if you please…

I typically try to put everything I’m going to use in a script inside the main class definition for the script.

I tried in the above to do that with class MsgboxAndQuitException (meaning put it inside class PSRO) but I couldn’t get it to work. It was a small thing, so I let it go with a whole lot of trying. But I’m curious for my own sake as to how one would do that.

Note that in the above I didn’t want the same treatment for editor3h, for the reason stated in the comment in the script.

Ekopalypse

@Alan-Kilborn

I, personally, don’t do it. I saw in other code that classes get definded within other classes but for me this is more confusing than having the class defined outside.

In your case you would have to define ein msg class attribute I guess.
Something like this

class c1:

    class c2:
        msg = ''
        def __init__(self, msg):
            self.msg = msg

    def __init__(self):
        self.test()

    def test(self):
        print(self.c2("123").msg)

or you do create a real instance of MsgboxAndQuitException within class PSRO and work with it.

jiskapav

Hello @Alan-Kilborn, @Ekopalypse, @guy038 and ALL (after long period),

I am sorry, I don’t know how to use Python script efficiently in this case. I think it should be convenient to do overwrite paste natively by Notepad++. My expectation is:

when I would like to do overwrite paste - switch in OVR mode
when I would like to do insert paste - switch in INS mode

Will it be possible to implement “overwrite paste” into Notepad++? This functionality is great when working with matrices (to replace matrix of the same shape at the same position as the old one was without any ALT+selection…).

Best regards,
@jiskapav

Alan Kilborn

@jiskapav said in "OVERWRITE" in column mode:

Will it be possible to implement “overwrite paste” into Notepad++?

I don’t think so, because this is a Scintilla function. Scintilla is the editing component that Notepad++ uses, and N++ typically doesn’t attempt to override Scintilla’s non-configurable editing behavior.

Neil Schipper

@jiskapav Please state whether your need is for many different array dimensions (rxc), or a small few, or, maybe even (almost) exclusively one, like the 20x20 you used in your example.

jiskapav

@Alan-Kilborn Thank you very much! I am already using your Python script after my own modifications.

@Neil-Schipper I mainly work with array dimensions 10x8 or 14x12, but overwrite paste should not be size sensitive. Paste should be done according to clipboard content size (ie. copy in column mode) from current position of caret.

Neil Schipper

@jiskapav Good that you have the more general (dimension-neutral) solution.

If Alan (or someone else) had not provided a pythonscript solution, I would have proposed a pair of macros-with-hotkeys (one to copy, one to paste) for each dimension. Thus, 4 macros might have satisfied 90% of your need.