Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++

TBugReporter

@PeterJones said in Finding available shortcut keys (originally “Where’s the ‘New Window’ command?”):

This discussion has stopped being about “new window” or about “shortcut keys”

Agreed, and I apologize for not starting a new topic sooner, but …

@PeterJones said in Finding available shortcut keys (originally “Where’s the ‘New Window’ command?”):

and really ceased even being about Notepad++.

… I’d have to disagree with this assessment, since Python (despite being a third-party plugin) seems to be the preferred/default scripting solution for N++.

@Alan-Kilborn said in Finding available shortcut keys (originally “Where’s the ‘New Window’ command?”):

It seems we’re teaching Python??

Also agreed, but my questions have been mostly about the interaction of Python with N++, and I don’t know of any better forum to pose such questions.

I created this thread (with a more appropriate title) as a place for future automation questions to be addressed.

@Alan-Kilborn said in macro to find/replace in current directory?:

@rorso

Cool that that technique can work for you. I had another idea which as “heavier” as it involved using a scripting plugin, so if that wouldn’t work out for you, I’d’ve gone down that road.

So if and when you go down that road, maybe you can post about it here.

PeterJones

@TBugReporter said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

I’d have to disagree with this assessment, since Python (despite being a third-party plugin) seems to be the preferred/default scripting solution for N++.
…
my questions have been mostly about the interaction of Python with N++

You got the Notepad++ specific info earlier in the thread. If you want to compare and contrast the various methods for “how do I exit a routine or block early without exiting the script”, that it a question that is Notepad++/PythonScript agnostic, and could easily be explored in a Python or general programming forum. Your question might have spawned from an on-topic desire to automate Notepad++, but the specific question is not Notepad++-specific.

The less an answer references the notepad or editor or console objects, the less it relates to NPP/PythonScript.

TBugReporter

I’ve been working on my improved shortcut script, and I now have it mostly completed, but now I want to add a GUI dialog like @Ekopalypse suggested here. Unfortunately, running the Samples\Formatter script gives me this:
Missing Library.png
I’ve tried reinstalling the PythonScript plugin several times, both as admin and from my normal account, but nothing changes.

Any clue where I should go from here?
(“Away” will be a disappointing, but acceptable answer. 😒)

Ekopalypse

@TBugReporter

you need one of the *_TclTk_* from here. Download the proper version and unzip it over the installed one.

Note: I assume that you are using PythonScript version installed via Plugin Admin.

TBugReporter

@Ekopalypse

Thank you, that fixed it. Apparently, there needs to be a " ‘Plugins to the Plugin’ Admin"! 🙃

However, it looks like it’ll be quite a while before I understand everything that’s going on in that sample script. Maybe I should publish a version of my Shortcut script without the GUI bells and whistles?

Alan Kilborn

@TBugReporter said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

Apparently, there needs to be a " ‘Plugins to the Plugin’ Admin"!

No. PythonScript plugin author has decided Plugins Admin is only to offer a certain PythonScript package. If you want the extras, you have to go get them manually. It’s not a big deal.

TBugReporter

@Alan-Kilborn said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

If you want the extras, you have to go get them manually. It’s not a big deal.

It is, when that “certain PythonScript package” includes sample scripts that won’t work without these extra parts - and when the documentation link built into the plugin gives no clue that these extra parts exist, nor how to get them.

Alan Kilborn

@TBugReporter said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

that “certain PythonScript package” includes sample scripts that won’t work without these extra parts

Create an ISSUE that those sample scripts should be removed, or perhaps that instructions for getting the extra parts should be added as comments at the top of those scripts that need them?

the documentation link built into the plugin gives no clue that these extra parts exist, nor how to get them.

Documentation can always stand some improvement. Perhaps make that suggestion as well.

In general, be careful when considering those sample scripts. They are often added to the project without a lot of vetting.

I maintain that it is “not a big deal”. If you’re a “programmer” that wants everything handed to them, or always made “super obvious”, you’re probably not going to get very far. Google and some due diligence type research are your friends.

There was one guy a while ago that got all butt hurt that PythonScript 2 was different from PythonScript 3, and felt it was the PythonScript author’s job to better protect him from some of the effects of the differences. We all here kind of laughed at him; it was a “do your research before using, man” kind of thing.

Perhaps in the end you won’t like Tcl/Tk anyway; that’s been my feeling. Good luck.

Ekopalypse

@TBugReporter said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

It is, when that “certain PythonScript package” includes sample scripts

I agree, maybe it should be wrapped in a try block and if it can’t be found a MessageBox is called explaining this.

… nor how to get them

This is not as easy as it sounds, because there are several ways to set up a “PythonScript environment”. You can use one of the “environments” provided by the plugin, but you can also use the entire Python ecosystem by using a local Python installation along with the plugin. So at a certain point it’s hard to draw the line on what you can/should document.

TBugReporter

@Ekopalypse said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

maybe it should be wrapped in a try block and if it can’t be found a MessageBox is called explaining this.

You mean like this one? 😉
Missing Library.png
While this provides useful info, I still think it’s not useful enough. I’ll be posting on @bruderstein’s GitHub, as soon as I decide exactly what to post.

Alan Kilborn

@TBugReporter said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

While this provides useful info, I still think it’s not useful enough. I’ll be posting on @bruderstein’s GitHub, as soon as I decide exactly what to post.

Did you consider my story about the other guy that we laughed at? Do what you will, but think about NOT making yourself into another one of those guys.

Aren’t you the person that had the major tizzy because the right-click options on one of the controls in the ShortcutMapper had a couple of extra default options left on it?

We do seem to attract those that we call “interesting thinkers”, here…

TBugReporter

@Alan-Kilborn said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

Did you consider my story about the other guy that we laughed at?

Not really, because I’m only concerned about how the PythonScript plugin works, and in the process of learning about Python, my research - yes, I did some - revealed that there are some major differences between 2 and 3, but the question of whether the plugin conforms to whatever standards are (or were) established for the Python language - well, that question really didn’t matter to me.

Do what you will, but think about NOT making yourself into another one of those guys.

It’s hard to know what reaction a question or comment will generate before asking the question or making the comment.

Aren’t you the person that had the major tizzy because the right-click options on one of the controls in the ShortcutMapper had a couple of extra default options left on it?

I wouldn’t characterize it that way, but yes. Since that, because of that, my opinion of N++ has changed. I used to think of it as a well-polished alternative to the text editor supplied with Windows, but now I see it more as a collection of parts that don’t quite fit together - and that getting them to work together as well as they do is a major accomplishment in itself. That’s not to say that I won’t keep pushing to get it working better, but now I see the rough edges and understand why they’re so rough.

Ekopalypse

@TBugReporter

You mean like this one?

Yes, but no - more in the direction pointing to the package that contains the Tkinter module.

Alan Kilborn

@TBugReporter said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

I wouldn’t characterize it that way, but yes.

LOL.
And thanks for not having an emotional overreaction to my comments the way some people do.

because of that, my opinion of N++ has changed. I used to think of it as a well-polished alternative to the text editor supplied with Windows, but now I see it more as a collection of parts that don’t quite fit together - and that getting them to work together as well as they do is a major accomplishment in itself.

IMO, Notepad++ is “well polished” but maybe it has enough quirks to keep things interesting. :-)

And I don’t know that I’d agree that it is a “collection of parts that don’t quite fit together”. Probably if it were a sack of disjointed parts even the author would’ve given up on it long ago.

That’s not to say that I won’t keep pushing to get it working better, but now I see the rough edges and understand why they’re so rough.

I don’t know if your “rough” assessment is accurate, but I agree that all any of us (that are interested) can do, is some “pushing”.

TBugReporter

@Alan-Kilborn said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

thanks for not having an emotional overreaction to my comments the way some people do.

I have experience with people who seem brusque when communicating over the Internet - heck, I am “those people” sometimes.

IMO, Notepad++ is “well polished” but maybe it has enough quirks to keep things interesting. :-)

Okay, I’ll go with “quirky”.

@Ekopalypse:
Two questions for you -

I’m trying to import your taskdialog.py script into mine, but I’m getting this error:

  File "{...}\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\plugins\Config\PythonScript\scripts\taskdialog.py", line 400, in show
    None if self.checked_verification is None else ctypes.byref(wintypes.INT(self.checked_verification))
ctypes.ArgumentError: argument 1: <type 'exceptions.TypeError'>: expected LP_TASKDIALOGCONFIG instance instead of pointer to TASKDIALOGCONFIG

Is this a bug in your script, or mine (or both)?

~~I want my dialog to contain a group of checkboxes, but your script seems to only allow for one. What do I need to do to get this?~~ Never mind. I found the Windows documentation for the TaskDialog routines and realized that this is just a slightly fancier version of “Abort, Retry, Ignore?” - IOW, it’s still not configurable enough for what I want, and everybody uses GUI IDEs to build these now, so there’s very little info out there on how to “roll your own”.

Ekopalypse

@TBugReporter

Let me check - I will follow up later today.

Ekopalypse

@TBugReporter

I was not able to replicate the error you mentioned, but unfortunately while testing I found a serious problem that could lead to a hanging or even crashing npp. This needs to be investigated further.

TBugReporter

@Ekopalypse said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

maybe it should be wrapped in a try block and if it can’t be found a MessageBox is called explaining this.

@TBugReporter said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

You mean like this one? 😉

@Ekopalypse said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

Yes, but no - more in the direction pointing to the package that contains the Tkinter module.

I’ve now added code to my script that comes close to doing this. An excerpt:

    tk_ok = False
    try:                                                        # see if we can do pretty dialogs
        import Tkinter as tk
        import ttk
        import qq                                               # DEBUG:  bogus name to force error triggering
        tk_ok = True
    except ImportError as e:                                    # if not, tell user
        console.show()
        user_response = notepad.messageBox(
            (tk_err_msg + e.message
            ), "Missing Library",
            MESSAGEBOXFLAGS.OKCANCEL | MESSAGEBOXFLAGS.ICONWARNING | MB_HELP)
        if user_response == MESSAGEBOXFLAGS.RESULTCANCEL:
            print("== RESULTCANCEL loading Tkinter")            # DEBUG
            notepad.runPluginCommand('Python Script', 'Stop Script')

This produces the following box:
Missing Library.png
Given that MB_HELP isn’t defined as part of PythonScript’s MESSAGEBOXFLAGS, it seems that no one anticipated anyone wanting to add a “Help” button to a MessageBox. Can someone here help me finish this feature for my script? Apparently, the “Help” button sends a message to the parent process, but do I have to add code to listen for and react to this message? Examples I’ve seen for other languages make it seem like I only need to define a URL to be accessed when the button is clicked, but again, I’m having a hard time translating those examples to PythonScript.

(Also, I realize that with this question, I’m again straying away from N++ - for which I was soundly rebuked last time - but I’m thinking that interest in the larger goal of developing a more elegant way to inform PythonScript users of missing libraries might outweigh that concern.)

Alan Kilborn

@TBugReporter said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

notepad.runPluginCommand('Python Script', 'Stop Script')

I thought we told you this was a “bad idea”; wasn’t there a discussion of how to “properly” end a script?

I’m again straying away from N++ - for which I was soundly rebuked last time

Nah, you go ahead if you want…

but I’m thinking that interest in the larger goal of developing a more elegant way to inform PythonScript users of missing libraries might outweigh that concern.

IMO, nobody’s concern is all that great, but if you think so then by all means proceed.

Given that MB_HELP isn’t defined as part of PythonScript’s MESSAGEBOXFLAGS, it seems that no one anticipated anyone wanting to add a “Help” button to a MessageBox.

A full-fledged polished programming environment/suite was never really what PS’s designers had in mind. A lot of times Python programs are referred to as “scripts” (which is really a poor thing to do for Python), but here we really are “scripting”, which is intended to be rather lightweight. It’s even in the name of the plugin.

I use it for the power it can give me over the editor, not its UI capabilities, or its “full-fledgeness”.

IMO you are heading down the wrong road, but let’s see where you end up…

TBugReporter

@Alan-Kilborn said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

wasn’t there a discussion of how to “properly” end a script?

Yeah, I just never got around to changing that. (I’m retired, so I tend to do whatever I find entertaining at the moment.)

@TBugReporter said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

I’m again straying away from N++ - for which I was soundly rebuked last time

@Alan-Kilborn said in Using the PythonScript plugin to automate N++:

Nah, you go ahead if you want…

nobody’s concern is all that great, but if you think so then by all means proceed.

Okay, perhaps my own enthusiasm for the project may have caused me to misread the temperature of the room - but as I said, I do as I like, and this project has intrigued me. It may end up as just another of my unfinished projects, but for now, I’ll keep banging on it.

IMO you are heading down the wrong road, but let’s see where you end up…

So what do you consider “the right road”? Maybe that road will intrigue me more. 🙂

In software development, nothing is impossible, except making every user happy.
— Notepad++ (@Notepad_plus)