Community
    • Login

    Horizontal Caret

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General Discussion
    22 Posts 6 Posters 2.6k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • JamesWebbJ
      JamesWebb
      last edited by

      Is there a way to force NP++ to use horizontal caret instead of the current vertical one? I don’t mean Insert/Overwrite mode.

      Alan KilbornA JamesWebbJ Michael VincentM mkupperM 6 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • Alan KilbornA
        Alan Kilborn @JamesWebb
        last edited by

        @JamesWebb

        Not really. Maybe try “Block” but I don’t think that’s really what you want:

        5d6bc21d-e688-4ac3-a7df-9890b5b73885-image.png

        JamesWebbJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
        • JamesWebbJ
          JamesWebb @Alan Kilborn
          last edited by

          @Alan-Kilborn Thanks. I’m on it already. I mean dash-like cursor.

          Alan KilbornA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • Alan KilbornA
            Alan Kilborn @JamesWebb
            last edited by

            @JamesWebb said in Horizontal Caret:

            I mean dash-like cursor.

            I assumed that, although it would have been nice to be explicit about what you wanted, in your first posting.

            As I said, it isn’t realistically possible.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • guy038G
              guy038
              last edited by guy038

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

              @alan-kilborn, wouldn’t we imagine such a writing mode :

              • In Insertion mode, one would get a caret under the character position

              • In Overwrite mode, one would get a full blue cursor at the character position

              Because , as this behaviour is just the true opposite of the present Block behaviour of the caret, I suppose it shouldn’t be too difficult to implement it ?

              What are your feelings about it?

              Best Regards,

              guy038

              Alan KilbornA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • Alan KilbornA
                Alan Kilborn @guy038
                last edited by

                @guy038

                Certainly it is technically possible, with changes to the software.
                OP is clearly looking for a solution now, with existing software, and that is the reference point from which I addressed his question.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                • JamesWebbJ
                  JamesWebb @JamesWebb
                  last edited by JamesWebb

                  I have attached a screenshot which I hope will clarify my request. Currently, my “Caret” settings are set to display the cursor as a “Block.” However, as English is not my native language (I use an RTL language), I find it more comfortable for my eyes if the cursor (caret/indicator) were to be displayed under the letters instead.
                  What I am asking for is to change the cursor/caret to the dash (like no. 2 in the screenshot). Currently, the cursor changes to the dash in overwrite mode, but I would like it to change to the dash in normal (insert) mode.
                  I would be grateful for any help or suggestions. Thanks.

                  https://mega.nz/file/d4RQ1DTT#fdgxqsXNCkYRg8xdmMHboBC63l5kSRIlHTIg-E1JSLw

                  Alan KilbornA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • Alan KilbornA
                    Alan Kilborn @JamesWebb
                    last edited by

                    @JamesWebb said in Horizontal Caret:

                    What I am asking for…

                    If you want anyone to see it, you have to turn it into a real feature request; see HERE for some tips on how to do that.

                    JamesWebbJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • JamesWebbJ
                      JamesWebb @Alan Kilborn
                      last edited by

                      @Alan-Kilborn Thanks. I am going for it.

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • Michael VincentM
                        Michael Vincent @JamesWebb
                        last edited by Michael Vincent

                        @JamesWebb said in Horizontal Caret:

                        Is there a way to force NP++ to use horizontal caret

                        Yes, but you need to use a scripting plugin. See SCI_SETCARETSTYLE.

                        I could provide more instructions, but I’m on my phone so can’t do it now.

                        Cheers.

                        Alan KilbornA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • Alan KilbornA
                          Alan Kilborn @Michael Vincent
                          last edited by

                          @Michael-Vincent

                          SCI_SETCARETSTYLE

                          I don’t see any choices that give OP what is wanted…but I haven’t actually tried all of them…

                          Michael VincentM 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • Michael VincentM
                            Michael Vincent @Alan Kilborn
                            last edited by

                            @Alan-Kilborn

                            A-ha, I may have read it wrong. Seems you can only do an overstrike carat as a bar. If it’s not an option here, I don’t even think a feature request will fix it since Scintilla does not provide for it.

                            Cheers.

                            Alan KilbornA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • Alan KilbornA
                              Alan Kilborn @Michael Vincent
                              last edited by

                              @Michael-Vincent said in Horizontal Caret:

                              I don’t even think a feature request will fix it since Scintilla does not provide for it

                              A Notepad++ feature request can be the first step to a Scintilla feature request.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • JamesWebbJ
                                JamesWebb @JamesWebb
                                last edited by

                                Many thanks. Unfortunately, I’m not a coder and I use NP++ for editing (some codes) and as my notepad. I don’t know anything about “SCI_SETCARETSTYLE”. As Alan said, I posted it as a request and I got this:

                                https://mega.nz/file/Z8wRWJhQ#difiRHrQReY85epf-qqPBhSCLzV7lOiLO0n27cKfCh8

                                Does it mean there is no way and I have to forget about this feature?

                                Alan KilbornA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • guy038G
                                  guy038
                                  last edited by

                                  Hello, @jameswebb, @alan-kilborn, @michael-vincent and All,

                                  @jameswebb, you said :

                                  Currently, the cursor changes to the dash in overwrite mode, but I would like it to change to the dash in normal (insert) mode.

                                  I do understand. But, how do you want the caret to look, in your desired overwrite mode ?


                                  BTW, here is the link to your issue, on Github site :

                                  https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/issues/14518

                                  BR

                                  guy038

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • Alan KilbornA
                                    Alan Kilborn @JamesWebb
                                    last edited by

                                    @JamesWebb

                                    Is this, by chance, a desire because the vertical caret can appear in the wrong place for RTL mode? I don’t know much about RTL mode so I can’t answer that for myself.

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • Mark OlsonM
                                      Mark Olson
                                      last edited by

                                      I don’t really know much about RTL mode either, and since I’m not familiar with any languages that read RTL, I wouldn’t even know what appropriate behavior should look like.

                                      With that said, I notice that when you type a character in RTL mode, the caret moves to the right, same as in LTR mode. Maybe if this was reversed, that would help address the OP’s problem?

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • mkupperM
                                        mkupper @JamesWebb
                                        last edited by

                                        @JamesWebb said in Horizontal Caret:

                                        Does it mean there is no way and I have to forget about this feature?

                                        That’s correct. Notepad++ is a wrapper around an editor called Scintilla. The main person behind Scintilla has for the last ten years held off on implementing the underline style caret when in insert mode as it would then be confusingly similar to the overstrike mode caret and also likely impacts other areas of the code.

                                        However, the caret related parts of Scintilla’s API offers dozens of options. That’s why a Notepad++ plugin was suggested. Someone would need to set up the plugin and then experiment with Scintilla’s API to see if Scintilla could be persuaded or coerced into showing an insert mode caret that looks like the overstrike mode caret.

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • JamesWebbJ
                                          JamesWebb @JamesWebb
                                          last edited by

                                          Hi @guy038 ,

                                          My eyes are comfortable with the dash cursor. BTW, I have no eye problem, I don’t know why the vertical caret (Block) bothers the eyes.

                                          This is my RTL (Persian) language in NP++, I like this dash caret (it’s in overwrite mode):
                                          https://mega.nz/file/4952nQjT#zvgyeUnV_jdDVyCNGwqBiqus0PTuC1niMilGX7CsHuw

                                          Windows Terminal has 6 options including the dash which I’ve set it:
                                          https://mega.nz/file/ps5WFRLZ#eOGpDQN-hfH1nbL8lyGVJmKZqaftQbqLLPALRTqYzDY
                                          https://mega.nz/file/1pIyHQgD#o-poS9aVzKCE2d6A73x6RuXiCEoWg6Udn9jXAy0deXw

                                          Hi @mkupper ,
                                          Just one question, an open source app doesn’t mean you can customize its source in your own way?
                                          Scintilla is closed source?

                                          Alan KilbornA mkupperM 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • Alan KilbornA
                                            Alan Kilborn @JamesWebb
                                            last edited by

                                            @JamesWebb said in Horizontal Caret:

                                            Just one question, an open source app doesn’t mean you can customize its source in your own way?
                                            Scintilla is closed source?

                                            Notepad++ and Scintilla are open-source.
                                            So…if you are skilled, go ahead and make the changes necessary for the caret you want.
                                            Submit your changes to Scintilla, and see if they are accepted.
                                            If that’s accepted, make a change to Notepad++ to use the new caret you have defined, and submit that as a change and see if it it accepted.

                                            OR

                                            Change the code in a local sandbox for your own use.
                                            Have your caret and use it.
                                            But know that no one else can use your caret that way, and, if you want to keep updating Notepad++ with official changes, you’ll have to keep your sandbox in sync.

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                            • First post
                                              Last post
                                            The Community of users of the Notepad++ text editor.
                                            Powered by NodeBB | Contributors