View>Show All Characters not showing all

Conexor

I am editing a php script so language is set to php and encoding is set to ANSI and I have
view>show symbol>Show All Characters

I copied and pasted some code from php.net and I was trying to run the code, I would get an error
Parse error: syntax error, unexpected identifier “�”, expecting “)” in C:\xampp\htdocs\Test.php on line 26

Now line 26 is
throw new RuntimeException('mysqli error: ’ . mysqli_error($mysqli));

It looks fine doesn’t it :)
BUT
if you look between the word error and mysqli you will see a single quote and then a space, then a dot and then a space and then the word mysqli.

The hex codes of the space dot space are
A0 2E A0
Now A0 is not a space.
If I change to spaces
20 2E 20 it all works.

So we have a symbol but it is displayed as a space.

Any suggestions on how I can highlight all non ascii characters. So presumably all characters above 7E (ie with bit 7 high) would be highlighted. I would have thought that
view>show symbol>Show All Characters
should actually show all strange characters.

Even better, is there a way to paste copied code such that stuff that looks like a space is actually pasted as a space.

Thanks in advance,
Frank

Alan Kilborn

@Conexor

I copied and pasted some code from php.net

Copying data from websites and pasting into a text file is a good way to encounter the problem that you did. Although… web sites that specialize in code listings typically have easy methods for copying the code without encountering that same problem.

I would have thought that
view>show symbol>Show All Characters
should actually show all strange characters.

I think the current status of something like this native to Notepad++ is HERE. Also, HERE.
In short, nothing is implemented natively yet.
Feel free to add your own thoughts to the above issues – sometimes change only comes from different people repeatedly requesting the same thing.

As far as add-on functionality goes, there are some solutions presented HERE.

A0 is not a space.

Not exactly true…A0 is a special kind of space, in Unicode. The tone of parts of your posting make me think that you have not fully embraced the Unicode concept – you probably should.

how I can highlight all non ascii characters

Invoke the Mark dialog with Ctrl+m, then:
Set Find what to [^\r\n\t\x20-\x7E]+
Set Search mode to Regular expression
Check the Wraparound box
Press the Mark All button

Is there a way to paste copied code such that stuff that looks like a space is actually pasted as a space.

Not really; you (or someone) could write a script, such that at paste time, what is about to be pasted in could be examined, and then changed before pasting if found to contain “undesirable” – the script writer gets to define what that means – things.

Conexor

@Alan-Kilborn said in View>Show All Characters not showing all:

you have not fully embraced the Unicode concept – you probably should.

Feels like PHP hasn’t embraced Unicode.

I’ll read the other references in regards to options and ways to guard against this issue. Thank you.