Notepad++ v8.2.2 Release Candidate 5

donho

During my tests on opening / find in large files, I have experienced a crash, which happens on a 260MB file just BEFORE opening a 2GB file for searching. The crash is on null pointer of address translation, and the fix is make sure the pointer is not null before using it.

Hence Notepad++ v8.2.2 Release Candidate 5:
http://download.notepad-plus-plus.org/repository/8.x/8.2.2.RC5/

Not only a crash of Find in Files issue is fixed in Notepad++ v8.2.2 RC5, but also 3 plugins (DSpellCheck, HexEditor & Compare) which cause Notepad++ x64 binary crash are removed in x64 installer package of Notepad++ v8.2.2 RC5.

Here are the whole regression-fixed & enhancement histories:

Remove 3 unstable plugins from x64 installer package.
Fix Find in Files crash issue.
Fix 2 logic errors.
Fix crash on opening file with wild card characters. (Fix #11098)
Fix crash regression in UDL dialog. (Fix #11101)
Improve 200MB+ files loading/editing performance. (ref: https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/774321e0997e9561482124cd66007cee3c224758)
Fix unsaved untitled files not being opened on the next session regression (Fix 11080)

The loading of large files (200MB) disables automatically the following feature:

Syntax highlighting (large files are loaded as normal files, users can apply the proper syntax highlighting manually)
auto-completion (only for large files)
snapshot period backup (only for large files)
backup on save (only for large files)
word wrap (persistent for all files. Need to re-enable it manually)

Due to the editing/browsing large files performance issue, the following feature are disabled for the large files (200MB) :

braces match highlighting
smart highlighting
XML/HTML tags match highlighting
clickable link generation

PeterJones

@donho ,

I understand you need to do what’s best for the core application. But please make sure you give the plugin authors at least a few days, and maybe even a week, before taking RC5 to “full release”, so that they have a chance to fix the issue before you release (so that you can turn off the plugin removal from the installer). There has only been a day or so since the problem was discovered, let alone before the authors were notified, or have had a chance to update their code. Going to the drastic measures of disabling plugins during the install process is harsh, and will leave many users frustrated or upset.

ComparePlugin and DSpellCheck are two of the most popular plugins, based on what I see in Debug Info posted here, and based on the kinds of questions we get in the Forum. I use ComparePlugin daily, and I will not be able to upgrade to v8.2.2 if it is released with the ComparePlugin incompatibility; and many users require DSpellCheck for their daily workflow as well. It would not surprise me if there were quite a few users who would abandon Notepad++ if DSpellCheck and/or ComparePlugin are not available.

xomx

@peterjones said in Notepad++ v8.2.2 Release Candidate 5:

give the plugin authors at least a few days, and maybe even a week, before taking RC5 to “full release”

Yes, I second that.

There is a successful rebuild of the Compare plugin reported:
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/issues/11104#issuecomment-1026270038

Updated list of affected plugins reported: DSpellCheck, ComparePlugin, HexEditor, CsvQuery, SpeechPlugin, QuickColorPicker, TagLEET.

Michael Vincent

@xomx said in Notepad++ v8.2.2 Release Candidate 5:

SpeechPlugin, QuickColorPicker, TagLEET

I should have mentioned that the speech plugin rebuild is my own with some modifications since the original author was unresponsive, same with quickcolorpicker and taglet.

I don’t believe quick color picker is in plug-in admin and the speech plugin and tagleet which are in plug-in admin are from their authors, not my rebuilds.

Cheers.

donho

@PeterJones @xomx
You are right about it. I personally use also the 3 plugins occasionally.
I will wait a few days to see if there are any update from the plugins in question. If the update is on time, NSIS script will be adapted - only the old versions will be removed, but the new fixed version will be left, just as how installer deals with NppSaveAsAdmin plugin currently.
Otherwise, as Notepad++ new releases come out frequently, this mechanism can be applied to the next version, and it won’t have too much impact to our users.

@Michael-Vincent

I should have mentioned that the speech plugin rebuild is my own with some modifications since the original author was unresponsive, same with quickcolorpicker and taglet.
I don’t believe quick color picker is in plug-in admin and the speech plugin and tagleet which are in plug-in admin are from their authors, not my rebuilds.

If you (or anyone) who want to maintain them, for the sake of good for the community, you’re welcome.
Otherwise, I can include them in https://github.com/npp-plugins, with the infos of original project of course.

===============================================

I just posted the following announcement in Plugin Development:
https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/22471/recompile-your-x64-plugins-with-new-header

I should also replace all the Sci_Position.h in every single project of Npp-Plugins, especially in plugintemplate & plugindemo. It’ll be done before the v8.2.2 release (hopefully).

Michael Vincent

@xomx said in Notepad++ v8.2.2 Release Candidate 5:

Updated list of affected plugins reported

Just confirmed PythonScript crashes Notepad++ if the editor.getTextRange() function is called. Using PythonScript 3.0.7-alpha.

I only have 2 scripts that use this call, so not a big deal for me.

Opened issue: https://github.com/bruderstein/PythonScript/issues/218

Cheers.

Michael Vincent

@michael-vincent said in Notepad++ v8.2.2 Release Candidate 5:

Just confirmed PythonScript crashes Notepad++ if the editor.getTextRange() function is called

@PeterJones

Also “PerlScript”:

editor->getTextRange(MIN, MAX)

crashes Notepad++ 8.2.2

Cheers.

Yaron

HTMLTag also crashes NPP 8.2.2.
https://sourceforge.net/p/npp-plugins/discussion/725650/thread/08c8e87447/

Graham Norris

Maybe the time has come for a reset of plugin compatibility, with a revised set of standards which Notepad++ and plugins need to adhere to.

I understand that Notepad++ needs to evolve, but changes which make multiple plugins incompatible is a real problem.

donho

@graham-norris

Maybe the time has come for a reset of plugin compatibility, with a revised set of standards which Notepad++ and plugins need to adhere to.

IMO, the management of plugin compatibility is for plugins which cannot run previous certain versions, for example a plugin cannot be loaded/run under v7.8.4 and the previous versions because the API used by the plugin in question was introduced from v7.8.5.

In our actual situation, I don’t see how the plugin compatibility management can help, since the plugins are supposed to work in current version of Notepad++ and its future versions.