Macro not working

John McCarthy · Nov 25, 2017, 5:45 AM

I recorded a macro and assigned it to a key combo. Then when I run it nothing happens. Here’s the macro:

    <Macro name="mymacro" Ctrl="no" Alt="yes" Shift="no" Key="9">
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="." />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=". " />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="." />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="." />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=" ," />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="," />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="," />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=", " />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=",  " />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=", " />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="(" />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=" (" />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="  (" />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=" (" />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=" )" />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=")" />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=")  " />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=") " />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=") ." />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=")." />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=") ," />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=")," />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="(i " />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="(I " />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="(im " />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="(I&apos;m " />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=". . ." />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="..." />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="&#x00B4;" />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="&apos;" />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=".   " />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=". " />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="  " />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=" " />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam=") , " />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="), " />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="ad/dc" />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="ac/dc" />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="kjer" />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="KJER" />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="silver" />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="Silver" />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="ABCD" />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="ABC-D" />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="abc d" />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="ABC-D" />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1700" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1601" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="qUOP" />
        <Action type="3" message="1625" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1602" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="QUOPl" />
        <Action type="3" message="1702" wParam="0" lParam="770" sParam="" />
        <Action type="3" message="1701" wParam="0" lParam="1609" sParam="" />
        <Action type="0" message="2013" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="2" message="0" wParam="42007" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="0" message="2178" wParam="0" lParam="0" sParam="" />
        <Action type="2" message="0" wParam="42002" lParam="0" sParam="" />
    </Macro>

Any tips?

John McCarthy · Nov 25, 2017, 6:25 AM

It seems to be doing only the last two steps (SELECT ALL and COPY). Here is more or less the same macro from UltraEdit, much easier to parse and see what I’m doing:

Find MatchCase “.”
Replace All “. "
Find MatchCase " .”
Replace All “.”
Find MatchCase " ,"
Replace All “,”
Find MatchCase “,”
Replace All ", "
Find MatchCase ", "
Replace All “, "
Find MatchCase “(”
Replace All " (”
Find MatchCase “)”
Replace All ") "
Find MatchCase “) .”
Replace All "). "
Find MatchCase "(i "
Replace All " (I "
Find MatchCase “. . .”
Replace All “…”
Find MatchCase "(im "
Replace All " (I’m "
Find MatchCase “´”
Replace All “'”
Find ". "
Replace All ". "
Find " "
Replace All " "
Find ") , "
Replace All "), "
Find MatchCase “kkjhgjgh”
Replace All “JHVJHVHJV”
SelectAll
Copy

John McCarthy · Nov 25, 2017, 8:23 AM

With more testing, I find the macro is performing the the find/replaces fine until it gets to a find replace that has a “not found” result, after which it skips to the end and does the final select all and copy. So how do I stop it skipping all the find-replaces after not finding one?

Scott Sumner · Nov 25, 2017, 1:53 PM

@John-McCarthy:

I set up your macro (the one where you posted the code for it), and then ran it on some data where only the last replace operation would succeed. Running it showed that it did the replacement, the select-all, and the copy. Clearly there were a bunch of 0 Occurrences were replaced conditions occurring earlier in the macro, and these did not interfere with the execution path of the macro (that I could tell, anyway).

John McCarthy · Nov 25, 2017, 1:58 PM

@Scott-Sumner Try testing it where a few conditions are met early on. Then see if it fixes the later ones … does not for me.

And on another point, I was looking for the meaning of lparam=“770” and it is not listed in the official documentation:
http://docs.notepad-plus-plus.org/index.php/Editing_Configuration_Files#Search_.2F_Replace_encoding

Does nobody keep the site up to date?

Scott Sumner · Nov 25, 2017, 2:30 PM

@John-McCarthy

Try testing it where a few…

Well, I’m not paid support (but I like to help, if I can), so I can’t poke and prod at your scenario at total random. Why don’t you post some text that illustrates the failure condition you see, along with the exact macro you are running (since I suspect it has changed since the above)?

lparam=“770”

Well, this IS in that documentation you pointed to. You just have to know how to interpret it. See the table after Flag values when message = “1702”: Decompose your value of 770 into: 512 + 256 + 2. Then consult the table and see that 512=search-direction(see note below), 256=wrap-around, 2=case-sensitive. So these 3 things affect your search…

Note: There is a bug in the table where it indicates that 512 means an upward search–it actually means a downward search. However, in your case you have wrap-around set, so the search&replace runs over the whole file, from top to bottom (i.e., upward/downward has no meaning). Just remember if you are hand-editing a macro that doesn’t use wrap, that the search direction setting will be important–and that the table is wrong.

…nobody keep the site up to date

I think that is a true statement. :-D

John McCarthy · Nov 25, 2017, 2:43 PM

@Scott-Sumner Thanks, I’m going to d/load and re-install notepad++ and test some more. I should have MD5ed the download.

@Scott-Sumner said:

Decompose your value of 770 into: 512 + 256 + 2.

Ha, very user friendly!

Alan Kilborn · Nov 25, 2017, 2:59 PM

@John-McCarthy said:

d/load and re-install notepad++
I should have MD5ed

The sign of the truly desperate dreamer…good luck

Scott Sumner · Nov 25, 2017, 3:08 PM

@John-McCarthy

Ha, very user friendly!

I don’t think you can complain about that not being user-friendly. Well, you can, but no one will listen: Macros are supposed to be recorded by the macro-recorder. So the encoding only needs to be readable by Notepad++ itself when it plays back the macro. The fact that you can hand-edit macros is a privilege (they could, after all, be recorded in some encrypted binary format that would be next-to-impossible to hack–for expedient useful reasons).

So you decided posting some sample text that shows your problem is not worth your time but grasping at the reinstall straw is? :-)

John McCarthy · Nov 25, 2017, 8:47 PM

Interestingly, after a re-install, it’s working! Hooray!

I am rurally located, at the end of a long and old copper line, and I have a seriously flaky connection, so corrupted downloads happen a lot. Many MP3 downloads are totally messed up.

Now that this is working, I can look at N++ as a serious contender to replace UE, which was becoming very slow at startup.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

I don’t think you can complain about that not being user-friendly. Well, you can, but no one will listen

All I’m asking is that the documentation explains how it works. Then it becomes ‘user friendly’.