Strange behavior of the sort function, with zero-length column mode selection

PeterJones

Alan reminded me in chat about the conversation PythonScript Toggleable Script?, where I developed SelectionToRectangle.py, which converted a normal stream selection to a column (rectangle) selection.

Using the concepts from that, I saw that after your manipulation (above) the selection converts from a rectangle selection to a multi-selection. If I just ran the SelectionToRectangle.py, the modes claim to be a rectangular selection again… but looking at the selection start/end, it’s a one-row rectangle, so not very columnar.

However, before doing the conversion, the multi-selection still had the original extents for the beginning and end of selection. So using those values to create a new stream selection, and then using the SelectionToRectangle to convert to rectangular from that new stream, I think it works as desired:

    one
    two
    three
    four

Instructions:

Save this script, and optionally assign it a keyboard shortcut
use the one…four text above, do a column selection between the fourth space and the letters
type " then backspace to replicate Guy’s issue
Edit > Line Operations > Sort Lines Lexicographically Ascending – order should still be one, two, three, four, because it doesn’t sort because of multi-selection
run this script
Edit > Line Operations > Sort Lines Lexicographically Ascending – order should now be four, one, three, two, because it went back to column/rectangle-selection

# encoding=utf-8
"""
Derived from SelectionToRectangle.py from 22890-simplest.py, in response to https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/23564,
which had (accidentally) changed a Column Selection to a Multi-Selection instead. This converts a multi-selection to a column-selection
"""
from Npp import notepad, editor, SELECTIONMODE, STATUSBARSECTION

#console.clear()
#console.write("PRE:  {}..{} R:{} M:{}\n".format(editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd(), editor.selectionIsRectangle(), editor.getMultipleSelection()))

if not(editor.selectionIsRectangle()) and (editor.getMultipleSelection()):
    ss,se = editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd()
    #console.write("GET:  {}..{} R:{} M:{}\n".format(editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd(), editor.selectionIsRectangle(), editor.getMultipleSelection()))
    editor.setSelection(ss,se)
    #console.write("SET:  {}..{} R:{} M:{}\n".format(editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd(), editor.selectionIsRectangle(), editor.getMultipleSelection()))
    editor.setSelectionMode( SELECTIONMODE.RECTANGLE )
    #console.write("RECT: {}..{} R:{} M:{}\n".format(editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd(), editor.selectionIsRectangle(), editor.getMultipleSelection()))

notepad.activateFile(notepad.getCurrentFilename()) # use the activateFile() command to refresh UI; otherwise, it doesn't _look_ like column/rectangle select)
#console.write("POST: {}..{} R:{} M:{}\n".format(editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd(), editor.selectionIsRectangle(), editor.getMultipleSelection()))

PeterJones

Some more research and experimentation:

The reason it changed mode out of Rectangle mode is because Scintilla has a selection mode called SC_SEL_THIN which indicates “the mode after a rectangular selection has been typed into and ensures that no characters are selected”. So what Guy found is not a bug: rather, Scintilla intentionally leaves pure Rectangle Selection Mode (SC_SEL_RECTANGLE) after you make edits; and the line operation sorting functions only work with stream or rectangle selections, not with “thin” selections or multi-selections.

The script I showed above will get you back into full rectangle mode from the THIN mode, but not from any others.

I have now updated my original SelectionToRectangle.py to work whether the active selection is starting from a normal (“stream”) selection, from an edited-column (“thin”) selection, or from a multi-selection: all three of those will be converted into a column-mode selection. And if it’s already a column-mode (“rectangle”), it will remain unchanged.

SelectionToRectangle.py v2022.10.06

# encoding=utf-8
"""
Derived from 22890-simplest.py, in response to https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/22890/

2022-Oct-06: modify based on https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/23564 to convert either stream selection (old behavior) or multi-selection (new behavior) to a single column selection

This is the simplest paradigm for converting a stream (normal) selection to rectangular (column):
1) Click or arrow to where you want to start selecting
2) Shift+Click or Shift+arrow to get to the end of the selection (ie, do a normal selection)
3) Run this script to convert the selection from STREAM to rectangle and refresh the screen automatically to see it

You can also start with a Multi-Selection (multiple Ctrl+Clicks) and convert it, with the start of the column at the lowest selection-start, and the end of the selection at the highest selection-end
"""
from Npp import notepad, editor, SELECTIONMODE, STATUSBARSECTION

if editor.getSelectionMode()==SELECTIONMODE.THIN:    # this is the mode after making an edit in rectangle(column) mode
    ss,se = editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd()
    editor.setSelection(ss,se)

if editor.getSelectionMode()==SELECTIONMODE.STREAM and editor.getSelections()>1:    # this is multi-selection mode
    ss = None
    se = None

    for si in range(0, editor.getSelections()):
        s0 = editor.getSelectionNStart(si)
        s1 = editor.getSelectionNEnd(si)
        if ss is None or s0 < ss: ss = s0
        if se is None or s1 > se: se = s1

    editor.setSelection(ss,se)

if editor.getSelectionMode()!=SELECTIONMODE.RECTANGLE:
    editor.setSelectionMode( SELECTIONMODE.RECTANGLE )
    notepad.activateFile(notepad.getCurrentFilename()) # use the activateFile() command to refresh UI; otherwise, it doesn't _look_ like column/rectangle select)

----
2024-Oct-16 Fix: instead of using <> for “not equal”, use != (see 2024-Oct-14 post below for reasons)

Alan Kilborn

@PeterJones said in Strange behavior of the sort function, with zero-length column mode selection:

So what Guy found is not a bug…the line operation sorting functions only work with stream or rectangle selections, not with “thin” selections.

To me it sounds like Guy found a Notepad++ bug. When sorting, a zero-width selection – declared by code as “thin” or not, user doesn’t care about that distinction in this circumstance – over a number of lines is supposed to use as the sort key the data starting in the column of the selection and continuing to end-of-line (for each line). Note that this is a bit different from a sort using a non-zero width column selection, where the sort key is only the text shown as selected on each line.

PeterJones

@Alan-Kilborn said in Strange behavior of the sort function, with zero-length column mode selection:

To me it sounds like Guy found a Notepad++ bug. …

From that perspective, it does sound like it doesn’t meet user expectations.

So yeah, Guy should go ahead and report it as a bug. If he does, it would be best to explain that SC_SEL_RECTANGLE sorts as expected, but SC_SEL_THIN does not sort when it is expected to do so.

Alan Kilborn

I’d think changing THIS from:

if (_pEditView->execute(SCI_SELECTIONISRECTANGLE))

to:

if ((_pEditView->execute(SCI_SELECTIONISRECTANGLE)) || (_pEditView->execute(SCI_GETSELECTIONMODE) == SC_SEL_THIN))

should fix it.

guy038

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

Many thanks for your feedback ! I now understand the problem and, certainly, the last suggestion of Alan seems the correct one !

I’ll create a new issue, very soon ! We’ll just have to live what this tiny problem !

Of course, we could, as well, have simply used the Stream Selection, right before the sort. In this case, the result is always correct !

Now, Peter and Alan, I’m upset by a behavior, a bit off-topic, relative to the PythonScript plugin. Let me explain :

On my new Windows 10 laptop, I still did not transfer all my personal data from my old XP laptop. So, in the meanwhile, I use an USB key ( E: ), containing some folders whose one is 846_x64_RC3 which contains the last locale N++ version

After installing, as you suggested, the PythonScript plugin with the Plugins > Plugin Admin... option, I selected the Plugins > PythonScript > New Script option which created an empty Test.py file in the folder E:\846_x64_RC3\plugins\Config\PythonScript\Scripts. Then, I pasted the contents of the @pterjones script, below, and re-saved it :

# encoding=utf-8
"""
Derived from SelectionToRectangle.py from 22890-simplest.py, in response to https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/23564,
which had (accidentally) changed a Column Selection to a Multi-Selection instead. This converts a multi-selection to a column-selection
"""
from Npp import notepad, editor, SELECTIONMODE, STATUSBARSECTION

#console.clear()
#console.write("PRE:  {}..{} R:{} M:{}\n".format(editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd(), editor.selectionIsRectangle(), editor.getMultipleSelection()))

if not(editor.selectionIsRectangle()) and (editor.getMultipleSelection()):
    ss,se = editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd()
    #console.write("GET:  {}..{} R:{} M:{}\n".format(editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd(), editor.selectionIsRectangle(), editor.getMultipleSelection()))
    editor.setSelection(ss,se)
    #console.write("SET:  {}..{} R:{} M:{}\n".format(editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd(), editor.selectionIsRectangle(), editor.getMultipleSelection()))
    editor.setSelectionMode( SELECTIONMODE.RECTANGLE )
    #console.write("RECT: {}..{} R:{} M:{}\n".format(editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd(), editor.selectionIsRectangle(), editor.getMultipleSelection()))

notepad.activateFile(notepad.getCurrentFilename()) # use the activateFile() command to refresh UI; otherwise, it doesn't _look_ like column/rectangle select)
#console.write("POST: {}..{} R:{} M:{}\n".format(editor.getSelectionStart(), editor.getSelectionEnd(), editor.selectionIsRectangle(), editor.getMultipleSelection()))

The INPUT text was in E:\xxx.txt file and, after following the @peterjones instructions, everything was OK !

However, I do not understand why IF I select again the Plugins > PythonScript > New Script option, this time, the Save under... windows proposes to save the future .py file in the \E folder instead of the normal location E:\846_x64_RC3\plugins\Config\PythonScript\Scripts ?!

Do you have some hints about it ? I surely miss something obvious !

Thanks, in advance !

Best Regards,

guy038

Notepad++ v8.4.6   (64-bit)
Build time : Sep 25 2022 - 19:51:39
Path : E:\846_x64_RC3\notepad++.exe
Command Line : 
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : ON
Cloud Config : OFF
OS Name : Windows 10 Pro (64-bit) 
OS Version : 21H2
OS Build : 19044.2075
Current ANSI codepage : 1252
Plugins : 
    mimeTools (2.8)
    NppConverter (4.4)
    NppExport (0.4)
    ComparePlus (1)
    BetterMultiSelection (1.5)
    PythonScript (2)

The command line set gives :

ALLUSERSPROFILE=C:\ProgramData
APPDATA=C:\Users\Guy\AppData\Roaming
BRB=C:\Program Files\HP\Sure Click\bin
BRS=C:\Program Files\HP\Sure Click\servers
CommonProgramFiles=C:\Program Files\Common Files
CommonProgramFiles(x86)=C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files
CommonProgramW6432=C:\Program Files\Common Files
COMPUTERNAME=GUYTOU
ComSpec=C:\windows\system32\cmd.exe
DriverData=C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\DriverData
FPS_BROWSER_APP_PROFILE_STRING=Internet Explorer
FPS_BROWSER_USER_PROFILE_STRING=Default
HOMEDRIVE=C:
HOMEPATH=\Users\Guy
LOCALAPPDATA=C:\Users\Guy\AppData\Local
LOGONSERVER=\\GUYTOU
NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS=8
OneDrive=C:\Users\Guy\OneDrive
OnlineServices=Online Services
OS=Windows_NT
Path=: E:\846_x64_RC3\notepad++.exe
PATHEXT=.COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH;.MSC
platformcode=AN
PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE=AMD64
PROCESSOR_IDENTIFIER=Intel64 Family 6 Model 140 Stepping 1, GenuineIntel
PROCESSOR_LEVEL=6
PROCESSOR_REVISION=8c01
ProgramData=C:\ProgramData
ProgramFiles=C:\Program Files
ProgramFiles(x86)=C:\Program Files (x86)
ProgramW6432=C:\Program Files
PROMPT=$P$G
PSModulePath=C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules;C:\windows\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules
PUBLIC=C:\Users\Public
RegionCode=EMEA
SESSIONNAME=Console
SystemDrive=C:
SystemRoot=C:\windows
TEMP=C:\Users\Guy\AppData\Local\Temp
TMP=C:\Users\Guy\AppData\Local\Temp
USERDOMAIN=GUYTOU
USERDOMAIN_ROAMINGPROFILE=GUYTOU
USERNAME=Guy
USERPROFILE=C:\Users\Guy
windir=C:\windows
ZES_ENABLE_SYSMAN=1

Terry R

@guy038 said in Strange behavior of the sort function, with zero-length column mode selection:

However, I do not understand why IF I select again the Plugins > PythonScript > New Script option, this time, the Save under… windows proposes to save the future .py file in the \E folder instead of the normal location E:\846_x64_RC3\plugins\Config\PythonScript\Scripts ?!

After reading that I’m wondering if a variable has been set if the first use was in relation to the E:\ drive. Now any successive use of this will use the pre-set variable of E:\ as a starting point since it’s already set.

Possibly a test might be to complete a fresh start of NPP and do a new script and see what the Save Under proposes.

Terry

Alan Kilborn

@guy038

I also have problems with the PythonScript > New Script command suggesting a folder that isn’t the one I want. It typically suggests a folder that is the scripts folder for another version of Notepad++ that I’ve recently used. I’ve no idea why this happens; I’ve posted about this before but never came to a resolution. So…I’m just doubly careful when I save a new script, such that it is going into the correct folder!

guy038

Hi All,

Could it be connected with the fact of putting a local N++ install on a removable drive ?

BR

guy038

guy038

Hi, @terry-r, @alan-kilborn, @peterjones and All

I’m really perplexed !!??

On my USB drive, I created a new folder E:\846_x64
Then, I moved the npp.8.4.6.portable.x64.7z archive, that I kept, from the folder E:\846_x64_RC3 to the new folder E:\846_x64
I opened this archive and extracted all the contents in the E:\846_x64 folder
I defined my preferred parameters in Settings > Preferences...
And I downloaded the PythonScript plugin via the Plugin Admin

Bingo ! I’m pleased to tell you that, whatever the current tab, as soon as I select the Plugins > PythonScript > New Script option, the Save inder window always opens in E:\846_x64\plugins\Config\PythonScript\Scripts ;-))

Finally, I added the ComparePlus and BetterMultiSelection plugins and everything is still OK !

So, I don’t see why it’s OK on a local N++ install, in folder E:\846_x64 and KO on a SAME local N++ install, in folder E:\846_x64_RC3 ???

Anyway, my problem is solved !

Best Regards,

guy038

…A quarter of an hour later, even if I use my old local N++ version, within the E:\846_x64_RC3 folder, everything seems OK, again ??? Really confusing !

guy038

Hi all,

As promised, I created a new issue concerning this problem :

https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/issues/12299#issue-1401062911

BR

guy038

guy038

Hello @alan-kilborn and All,

In the post above, of this discussion :

https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/80361

You said that you met the problem, sometimes in the past and that you haven’t find a solution yet to the fact that running the Plugins > PythonScript > New Script does not open the folder Local N++ install\Plugins\Config\PythonScript\Scripts, in the case of a local N++ install !

I’ve already found out two ways to reproduce this wrong behavior and also how to get the right folder ! Could you, Alan, @peterjones or someone else confirm my hypotheses ?

A wrong folder destination, when using the Plugins > PythonScript > New Script option, may occur when :

You’re trying, by mistake, to open an already opened file in your current N++ session which is not saved in the ...\Plugins\Config\PythonScript\Scripts folder
You’re saving a new_x file, in a specific folder, different from the ...\Plugins\Config\PythonScript\Scripts folder

So, an easy solution is to re-open a Python script of your current session ! Afterwards, any use of the Plugins > PythonScript > New Script option should open the right folder ...\Plugins\Config\PythonScript\Scripts ;-))

Remark : Note that holding the Ctrl key, while using the Plugins\Python Scripts\Scripts\"Script Name" option, does not help in this matter :-((

Best Regards,

guy038

Alan Kilborn

@guy038 said in Strange behavior of the sort function, with zero-length column mode selection:

two ways to reproduce this wrong behavior

As I never do those two actions, that isn’t a way I’m getting into the circumstance.

My problem with it mainly occurs when I am running a different instance of N++ to test a script in a “clean” setup. I tell it to create a New Script and it wants to save the file in the correct folder but in my daily use Notepad++.

I have several workarounds for this, but it is annoying behavior to say the least.

Alan Kilborn

The “Strange behavior of the sort function, with zero-length column mode selection” has been SOLVED by the developers and will be in the next release, presumably 8.4.8.

Alan Kilborn

@PeterJones :

SelectionToRectangle.py v2022.10.06

In Peter’s Oct 6, 2022 11:20am posting, the script code contained this line:

if editor.getSelectionMode()<>SELECTIONMODE.RECTANGLE:

Is Peter showing his BASIC roots here by using <>?

Proper Python would be to use != (or so one would think… keep reading…).

What caused me to notice this is that I exclusively use Python3 (and PythonScript v3.x) these days, and such a thing causes an error there, e.g.

Python 3.12.3 (tags/v3.12.3:f6650f9, Apr  9 2024, 14:05:25) [MSC v.1938 64 bit (AMD64)]
>Initialisation took 3078ms
>Ready.
>>> a = 3
>>> a <> 4
  File "<console>", line 1
    a <> 4
      ^^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

This made me dig up PythonScript 2 and try it there, where, indeed, it is fine:

Python 2.7.18 (v2.7.18:8d21aa21f2, Apr 20 2020, 13:25:05) [MSC v.1500 64 bit (AMD64)]
>Initialisation took 2703ms
>Ready.
>>> a = 3
>>> a <> 4
True

Probably the moral to the story is to just not use <> with Python, whatever version. :-)

Perhaps some further interesting reading: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16749121

PeterJones

@Alan-Kilborn said in Strange behavior of the sort function, with zero-length column mode selection:

Is Peter showing his BASIC roots here by using <>?

100 PRINT "BASIC FOREVER"
200 GOTO 100