Notepad++ 8.4.2 not recognizing file extension to define language

PeterJones

It works for me. If I open filename.php with v8.4.2, it recognizes it as a PHP file. And if I open php.misnamed that starts with <?php, Notepad++ v8.4.2 still recognizes it, because it does do first-line parsing for identifying files.

If your window is wide enough, the status bar at the bottom will show the name of the current lexer:

(this is true whether or not you have “global foreground colour” or something else interfering with the colors)

Given that you say it’s loading as a “user-defined” language, I suggest you go through your list of user-defined languages, and make sure none of them define the PHP extension, because that’s the only thing I’ve run across that would cause the symptoms that you’ve described.

Pallieguy

@peterjones ,

I made a new file that only has

<?php

and called it demo.php
When I open it it’s still user defined.

I’ve never made a user-defined language, but user-defined language folder has markdown._preinstalled.udl.xml and markdown._preinstalled_DM.udl.xml, which are both on my language list

my status bar shows:

Do I just delete the 2 preinstalled UDLs in the folder?

Alan Kilborn

@pallieguy

As those 2 are “predefined” I think removing them will do nothing for your situation.

FWIW I tried Peter’s experiment with php.misnamed and obtained his exact results with it.

PeterJones

@pallieguy ,

The status bar disagrees with your Language menu. Your status bar shows you have a UDL called “ILE=MANDALORE”, which means it has nothing to do with the Markdown UDLs (and apparently something to do with Star Wars, though I would have thought it would be “ILM=MANDALORE” in that case ;-) )

Please check the Language > User Defined Language > Define Your Language…, which will pop up a dialog (or a docked windows, depending on if you’ve docked it). It will have a pulldown that lets you pick the language, like

Select each entry in that list, and make sure that the Ext.: box doesn’t contain php

Alan Kilborn

@peterjones said in Notepad++ 8.4.2 not recognizing file extension to define language:

and apparently something to do with Star Wars, though I would have thought it would be “ILM=MANDALORE” in that case ;-) )

I wonder how many people understand that reference; maybe just us oldsters. :-)

PeterJones

@pallieguy said in Notepad++ 8.4.2 not recognizing file extension to define language:

and called it demo.php
When I open it it’s still user defined.

When you are saying “open”, do you mean “when I launch Notepad++ and the saved session includes demo.php” or do you mean “when I close demo.php and then use File>Open or equivalent to open the demo.php, it still says it is user defined”

Because if you manually selected “user defined” (either intentionally or on accident) for demo.php and exit Notepad++ without closing, and if you have “remember current session for next launch” enabled, then when Notepad++ writes the session.xml file, it saves the UDL that you had assigned to an open file. Until you actually close the file before exiting Notepad++, the application will continue to remember your manual UDL choice.

Pallieguy

@peterjones
Mandalore is what my computer is named. Your pun made me laugh out loud and my Girlfriend called me a nerd.

When I close demo.php and go File > Open or double click on the file in my Windows Explorer window (N++ is my default) then the language is not identified. If I launch notepad any saved sessions keep the language I’ve identified.

Under Language > User Defined Language > Define Your Langauge… I see the following:

I thought I might have clicked something, but I’m trying brand new files and they’re not doing it.

Pallieguy

Okay, so I jsut tried opening a CSS file and it recognized it as CSS and now my php files are being recognized. I’m not sure if it was opening the User Defined Languages popup or opening the CSS file, but something in there fixed my issue.

Strange…

PeterJones

@pallieguy said in Notepad++ 8.4.2 not recognizing file extension to define language:

any saved sessions keep the language I’ve identified.

Indeed, that is the way it works. The session files track the Language selected for each file – so that way if you’ve manually selected a language for a file, it will keep it from run-to-run as long as you don’t close the file in Notepad++. And if you had saved a separate session file (File > Save Session…) then that UDL information was saved in that file, so any time you load that session file, it will keep that UDL information with the file. Other *.php files, and any file like the php.misnamed which starts with <?php will determine the type as PHP when you do the File > Open on them; but if you have a PHP file in a session and had saved that session with something other than PHP selected, it will remember that. Resave your session now that demo.php is identified as a PHP, and your problem will not come back to haunt you.

Giannis Raptis

Hello

I recently had a similar “issue” with other type of source files and only if I open the file from file explorer and not from File->Open.

For example .py, .md, .txt, .json, etc. files (with extension).
When they are opened from File->Open or File->Recent the language is detected and is correctly visible on the left side of status bar.
When they are opened from file explorer in all cases the language is not detected and in status bar is see the following

I have a couple of UDLs but all mentioned file types-extensions should not be affected.

Notepad++ v8.4.2 (64-bit)
Build time : May 29 2022 - 16:47:30
Path : C:\Users~~\Apps\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line :
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : ON
Cloud Config : C:\Users~~\Apps\Notepad++\cloudDir
OS Name : Windows 10 Pro (64-bit)
OS Version : 21H2
OS Build : 19044.1766
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins :
ComparePlugin (2.0.2)
DSpellCheck (1.4.24)
EnhanceAnyLexer ()
Explorer (1.9.5)
GitSCM (1.4.7.1)
MarkdownViewerPlusPlus (0.8.2)
mimeTools (2.8)
NppConverter (4.4)
NppExport (0.4)
NPPJSONViewer (1.40)
NppXmlTreeviewPlugin (2)
PoorMansTSqlFormatterNppPlugin (1.6.13.31508)
SurroundSelection (1.4.1)

PeterJones

@giannis-raptis ,

Given that your status bar shows path or file/machine information in the “file type” section like @Pallieguy showed, I now think you have found something… however, I am not able to replicate it with my installation of Notepad++.

If I use the Windows Explorer and use the double-click action (on file types like .txt and .md, which have their default action set to Notepad++), it loads them up and immediately recognizes the type; and if I use my right-click Edit with Notepad++ action on any file type (those listed, or .py or .json, to finish replicating your examples), it also correctly recognizes the type: it does not pick a non-existent UDL and show part of the file path in the status bar.

Notepad++ v8.4.2   (64-bit)
Build time : May 29 2022 - 16:47:30
Path : C:\usr\local\apps\notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line : "C:\Users\xxxxx\Downloads\TempData\23148.txt"
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 10 Enterprise (64-bit) 
OS Version : 20H2
OS Build : 19042.1586
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins : 
    AutoSave (1.6.1)
    ComparePlugin (2.0.2)
    DSpellCheck (1.4.24)
    EnhanceAnyLexer ()
    ExtSettings (1.2.1)
    MarkdownViewerPlusPlus (0.8.2)
    mimeTools (2.8)
    NppConsole (1.2.4.1)
    NppConverter (4.4)
    NppEditorConfig (0.4)
    NppExec (0.8)
    NppExport (0.4)
    NppFTP (0.30.12)
    NppLspClient ()
    NppUISpy (1.0.4)
    PreviewHTML (1.3.2)
    PythonScript (2)
    QuickText (0.2.4.1)
    TagLEET (1.3.10.1)
    _CustomizeToolbar (5.3)

I wonder if there’s some difference in the way our file associations are defined which are causing the difference between your installation’s behavior and mine… Weird. If you can provide more information (how you made your associations, or digging into the registry to show us exactly what those associations look like), it might provide enough hints to make a replicable situation: if we can replicate it and define the exact sequence of events necessary, then we can probably file a bug report about it; but without a way to replicate it, I am not sure that a bug report will get much activity after the first attempt to replicate it fails.

Pallieguy

@peterjones
I booted up my computer today and I’m now getting the behavior described by @Giannis-Raptis. If I go File > Open it detects the language, if I right click in explorer and select Edit with Notepad++ it detects the language, if I select the file from the recent files section under the File menu it detects the language. The only way it doesn’t is if I double click the file in Windows Explorer.

I’ve tried my hardest to avoid dealing with the windows registry. If you can let me know what details you need I’ll gladly get you what I can.

PeterJones

@pallieguy

Here’s a way to do it where you cannot accidentally write anything: using the command-line REG QUERY which just grabs information from the registry without editing it. (For these instructions, I am assuming that even double-clicking a *.txt file is giving this wrong behavior. If not, replace the .txt below with an extension that double-clicks into Notepad++ but doesn’t identify correctly, like maybe .php, since that’s what started it all.)

Open a command prompt

REG QUERY HKCR\.txt /VE

This will output something like:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt
    (Default)    REG_SZ    txtfile

Whatever the text is to the right of REG_SZ, use that in the next query:

REG QUERY HKCR\txtfile

Share those results with us (use the </> button on the forum toolbar to wrap your text in a black box like I did)

For example, mine is:

C:\usr\local\share>REG QUERY HKCR\.txt /VE

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt
    (Default)    REG_SZ    txtfile


C:\usr\local\share>REG QUERY HKCR\txtfile

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile
    (Default)    REG_SZ    Text Document
    EditFlags    REG_DWORD    0x210000
    FriendlyTypeName    REG_EXPAND_SZ    @%SystemRoot%\system32\notepad.exe,-469

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\DefaultIcon
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile\shell

Those will give the “old fashioned” file associations, which Windows used prior to Win10 (and still work in Win10 and Win11, though they are moving away from them)

But since @giannis-raptis is on Win10, it might be useful to examine the newer “Open With” storage locations

REG QUERY HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt /S
REG QUERY HKCR\Applications\notepad++.exe /S

Give us the output to both of those as well

For the record, mine are:

C:\usr\local\share>REG QUERY HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt /S

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt\OpenWithList
    a    REG_SZ    notepad.exe
    b    REG_SZ    cabd
    c    REG_SZ    EXCEL.EXE
    d    REG_SZ    notepad++.exe
    MRUList    REG_SZ    dce
    e    REG_SZ    chrome.exe

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt\OpenWithProgids
    txtfile    REG_NONE

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.txt\UserChoice
    ProgId    REG_SZ    Applications\notepad++.exe
    Hash    REG_SZ    cK5ueCMWhb4=


C:\usr\local\share>REG QUERY HKCR\Applications\notepad++.exe /S

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe
    FriendlyAppName    REG_SZ    Notepad++
    (Default)    REG_SZ    Notepad++ Text Document

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\DefaultIcon
    (Default)    REG_SZ    "c:\usr\local\apps\notepad++\notepad++.exe",-100

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\shell

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\shell\open
    Icon    REG_SZ    c:\usr\local\apps\notepad++\notepad++.exe,-101

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\shell\open\command
    (Default)    REG_SZ    "C:\usr\local\apps\notepad++\notepad++.exe" "%1"

And finally, grab

REG QUERY HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ApplicationAssociationToasts

But that’s too big. So paste it into Notepad++, and then run the following replacement on it:

FIND WHAT: (?-s)^((?!Toasts|Notepad\+\+\.exe|\.txt).)*(\R|\Z)
REPLACE WITH: (empty)
hit Replace All

Then copy/paste the filtered results from Notepad++ into a black </> box in your your reply as well.

Pallieguy

@peterjones
I tried a .txt to see if the language problem persisted and like after the .css yesterday, the language is back to being detected properly for all my files. If it happens again tomorrow I will run these commands and post them while it’s still wonky.

First set of commands:

C:\Users\Palli>REG QUERY HKCR\.php /VE

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.php
    (Default)    REG_SZ    php_auto_file


C:\Users\Palli>REG QUERY HKCR\php_auto_file

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\php_auto_file\shell

Second two:

C:\Users\Palli>REG QUERY HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.php /S

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.php\OpenWithList
    a    REG_SZ    firefox.exe
    b    REG_SZ    cab
    c    REG_SZ    {1AC14E77-02E7-4E5D-B744-2EB1AE5198B7}\OpenWith.exe
    d    REG_SZ    dabc
    MRUList    REG_SZ    eabcd
    e    REG_SZ    notepad++.exe

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.php\OpenWithProgids
    php_auto_file    REG_NONE

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.php\UserChoice
    Hash    REG_SZ    8c5Dq+bAc2A=
    ProgId    REG_SZ    Applications\notepad++.exe


C:\Users\Palli>REG QUERY HKCR\Applications\notepad++.exe /S

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\shell

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\shell\open

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\shell\open\command
    (Default)    REG_SZ    "D:\Notepad++\notepad++.exe" "%1"

Filtered last command:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ApplicationAssociationToasts
    txtfile_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    textfile_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.sfv    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.srt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.ssa    REG_DWORD    0x0
    soffice.StarWriterDocument.6_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    soffice.StarCalcDocument.6_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.php    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\NOTEPAD.EXE_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.gcode    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.pl    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.css    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.js    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.orig    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.ini    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.log    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.fasta    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.htaccess    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.cpp    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.h    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.cfg    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.pem    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.html    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.json    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.lock    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.gitignore    REG_DWORD    0x0
    AppX4ztfk9wxr86nxmzzq47px0nh0e58b8fw_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.test    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.old    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.new    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.xml    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.bar    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.htpasswd    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.env    REG_DWORD    0x0

PeterJones

@pallieguy ,

I wonder if one of your plugins is causing Notepad++ to have intermittent difficulty in identifying the file type. Weird. If it goes back to happening, share your ?-menu’s Debug Info like @Giannis-Raptis did.

Also, if it happens again, try closing Notepad++ and renaming your c:\program files\notepad++\plugins directory (which is one of the steps in this FAQ, which though it claims to be about crashing, is also a general-purpose see-if-plugin-is-causing-problem instruction set; because your problem is only with double-click, you cannot easily use option #1, but option #2 will still work for you)

Pallieguy

This post is deleted!

Pallieguy

@peterjones
I haven’t installed any plugins that I’m aware of, but I’ll try that after posting if it happens again tomorrow.

Debug info:

Notepad++ v8.4.2   (64-bit)
Build time : May 29 2022 - 16:47:30
Path : C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Command Line : "D:\Dropbox (xxxx)\xxxx\Coding\xxxx\web\content\submissions\permissionForm\index.php"
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 10 Pro (64-bit) 
OS Version : 21H2
OS Build : 19044.1766
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins : 
    mimeTools (2.8)
    NppConverter (4.4)
    NppExport (0.4)

PeterJones

@pallieguy said in Notepad++ 8.4.2 not recognizing file extension to define language:

I haven’t installed any plugins that I’m aware of

Your Debug Info agrees: you only have the default plugins, which aren’t the culprit.

Well, let us know if the problem comes back.

Pallieguy

@peterjones
Day three and the same problem. Only difference is I didn’t shut down the computer last night.

First commands:

C:\Users\Palli>REG QUERY HKCR\.php /VE

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.php
    (Default)    REG_SZ    php_auto_file


C:\Users\Palli>REG QUERY HKCR\php_auto_file

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\php_auto_file\shell

Second Set:

C:\Users\Palli>REG QUERY HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.php /S

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.php\OpenWithList
    a    REG_SZ    firefox.exe
    b    REG_SZ    cab
    c    REG_SZ    {1AC14E77-02E7-4E5D-B744-2EB1AE5198B7}\OpenWith.exe
    d    REG_SZ    dabc
    MRUList    REG_SZ    eabcd
    e    REG_SZ    notepad++.exe

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.php\OpenWithProgids
    php_auto_file    REG_NONE

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.php\UserChoice
    Hash    REG_SZ    8c5Dq+bAc2A=
    ProgId    REG_SZ    Applications\notepad++.exe


C:\Users\Palli>REG QUERY HKCR\Applications\notepad++.exe /S

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\shell

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\shell\open

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\notepad++.exe\shell\open\command
    (Default)    REG_SZ    "D:\Notepad++\notepad++.exe" "%1"

Filtered last command:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ApplicationAssociationToasts
    txtfile_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    textfile_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.sfv    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.srt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.ssa    REG_DWORD    0x0
    soffice.StarWriterDocument.6_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    soffice.StarCalcDocument.6_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.php    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\NOTEPAD.EXE_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.gcode    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.pl    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.css    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.js    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.orig    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.ini    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.log    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.fasta    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.htaccess    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.cpp    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.h    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.cfg    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.pem    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.html    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.json    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.lock    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.gitignore    REG_DWORD    0x0
    AppX4ztfk9wxr86nxmzzq47px0nh0e58b8fw_.txt    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.test    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.old    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.new    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.xml    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.bar    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.htpasswd    REG_DWORD    0x0
    Applications\notepad++.exe_.env    REG_DWORD    0x0

Possible solution
I find out that if N++ is closed and I open the file through Windows Explorer, then language is detected and everything works, even if I open new files. If I open N++ from my taskbar shortcut (Set by right clicking an open N++ and selecting Pin to taskbar) then double click on the file in Windows Explorer is the only time it seems to not be working. Opening N++ by opening the file in my taskbar also shows a second N++ icon in that taskbar:

Unpinning the old shortcut (originally pinned so long ago I don’t recall which N++ version it was) and pinning the new one Fixed the problem entirely. It may be that enough time has passed for the problem to resolve itself like when I tried the txt and css files, so I’ll have another update tomorrow, but it appears the issue had to do with the shortcut made for an older version of N++.

Pallieguy

I missed the edit window to correct this, sorry.

Before my taskbar screenshot I meant to say:
Opening N++ by opening a file in Windows Explorer also shows a a second N++ icon in my taskbar: