Strange behavior of the sort function, with zero-length column mode selection
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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)
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P PeterJones referenced this topic on
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@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.
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@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.
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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.
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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 oldXP
laptop. So, in the meanwhile, I use anUSB
key (E:
), containing some folders whose one is846_x64_RC3
which contains the last locale N++ versionAfter installing, as you suggested, the
PythonScript
plugin with thePlugins > Plugin Admin...
option, I selected thePlugins > PythonScript > New Script
option which created an emptyTest.py
file in the folderE:\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, theSave under...
windows proposes to save the future.py
file in the\E
folder instead of the normal locationE:\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
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G guy038 referenced this topic on
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@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
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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!
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Hi All,
Could it be connected with the fact of putting a local N++ install on a removable drive ?
BR
guy038
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Hi, @terry-r, @alan-kilborn, @peterjones and All
I’m really perplexed !!??
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On my
USB
drive, I created a new folderE:\846_x64
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Then, I moved the
npp.8.4.6.portable.x64.7z
archive, that I kept, from the folderE:\846_x64_RC3
to the new folderE:\846_x64
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I opened this archive and extracted all the contents in the
E:\846_x64
folder -
I defined my preferred parameters in
Settings > Preferences...
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And I downloaded the
PythonScript
plugin via thePlugin Admin
Bingo ! I’m pleased to tell you that, whatever the current tab, as soon as I select the
Plugins > PythonScript > New Script
option, theSave inder
window always opens inE:\846_x64\plugins\Config\PythonScript\Scripts
;-))- Finally, I added the
ComparePlus
andBetterMultiSelection
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 folderE:\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 ! -
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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
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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 folderLocal 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 thePlugins > PythonScript > New Script
option should open the right folder...\Plugins\Config\PythonScript\Scripts
;-))Remark : Note that holding the
Ctrl
key, while using thePlugins\Python Scripts\Scripts\"Script Name"
option, does not help in this matter :-((Best Regards,
guy038
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@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.
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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.