Notepad++ 7.6 & new Plugins Admin

donho · Nov 13, 2018, 1:26 PM

Not related to the new release itself but - For some reason when you go to https://notepad-plus-plus.org/news/ the new 7.6 release is not shown. The same is true when you go to https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ - no 7.6 there.

It’s due to the cach of notepad-plus-plus.org site, I will make it work ASAP.

After install there is still sub-folder plugins in Notepad++ install folder (it contains only the disabled sub-folder). That is no more needed, correct me if I’m wrong.

True. It will be removed in the next release.

I don’t know if it is because of me using Wine but after install, the default plugins that come with Notepad++ package (DSpellCheck, MimeTools, etc.) go into %MY_USER_FOLDER%\AppData\Local\Notepad++\plugins\… and those are not loaded by Notepad++. It is as if Notepad++ doesn’t use that path to look for plugins. When I installed several plugins through PluginAdmin those were put in folder %MY_USER_FOLDER%\Local Settings\Application Data\Notepad++\plugins\… and are loaded by Notepad++ successfully.

I have tested the installer again, works to me. It should be WINE issue only.

After installing several plugins through PluginAdmin I noticed that the zip packages remain in %MY_USER_FOLDER%\Temp . Those are better to be removed after install.

Nice catched - will be done in next release.

The search field of PluginAdmin dialog window is called Research. Is it a typo? Sounds a bit strange.

“Search” in French word is “Rechercher”, so it’s my Frenglish - will be fixed in the next version.

Now that the plugins are installed under %MY_USER_FOLDER%\ it would be good to ask the user if he/she wants to install the selected plugins for him/her-self or for all users using the computer. This way it won’t be necessary to install the same plugins for each and every user that would need them on the same machine.

Let’s keep the current folder structure so far. We will see if such need comes.

Meta Chuh · Nov 13, 2018, 2:03 PM

@OverlordBR
@gurikbal-singh

the problem of not seeing any plugins always seems to happen if you install np++ with the option “don’t use %appdata%” selected

it seems that even if the doLocalConf.xml exists, and the plugins are present in the np++ plugin folder within the program folder, np++ is searching for the plugins at %LOCALAPPDATA%\Notepad++\plugins

so if %LOCALAPPDATA%\Notepad++\plugins was empty before installation (same folder as %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Notepad++\plugins) you will not see any plugins

Meta Chuh · Nov 13, 2018, 2:21 PM

additional info (i’ve just tested it):

this behavior is triggered by installing np++ within C:\Program Files with “don’t use %APPDATA%” selected

if i install np++ (same installer) anywhere else like C:\Notepad++, the doLocalConf.xml triggers correctly to use the plugins folder within the program folder and not from %LOCALAPPDATA%

just crosschecked:
i’ve put the portable version npp.7.6.bin.zip manually into the Program Files folder and the plugins dissapear.
as soon as you move this same portable version folder out of Program Files, eg. to the desktop, and start Notepad++.exe all plugins are shown

chcg · Nov 13, 2018, 6:06 PM

@donho would be good to have the information about the plugin folder changes and the manual movement from the webpage
also in the changelog.

chcg · Nov 13, 2018, 6:26 PM

@dinkumoil
ad 1, Can’t confirm the issue with plugin manager. The list is downloaded for me and also the setting dialog is ok.
ad 2, What do you see under the Information field? For me it is:

C:\Users\XXX\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\plugins\Config
Plugins in user’s AppData directory are enabled. Remove the allowAppDataPlugins.xml file from the Notepad++ directory to disable.

ad 3, Don’t see the crash, maybe for me the behaviour is ok, as PM was already installed before

4, What I see is that the installed plugins are no longer found, because there is no adaptation to the new location under %LOCALAPPDATA% yet.

rinku singh · Nov 13, 2018, 6:38 PM

@Meta-Chuh right thing
but i clean that directory before install because 7.5.9 was installed

dinkumoil · Nov 13, 2018, 7:11 PM

@chcg

Solved it. I had only copied all plugin DLL files to the new plugins directory in %LocalAppData%, thus there had been plugin DLL files in the old plugins directory too. Removing these solved the problem.

dinkumoil · Nov 13, 2018, 7:46 PM

I have created a Gist with an updated version of my migration script above.

Link: https://gist.github.com/dinkumoil/cb65c277dda5158174f4849e08ba872f

chcg · Nov 13, 2018, 7:56 PM

@donho Is it expected/intended behaviour that the plugin admin is not available for the zip/7z package?

dinkumoil · Nov 13, 2018, 8:04 PM

@chcg

Seems like this could be the answer. See the Edit.

chcg · Nov 13, 2018, 8:15 PM

@dinkumoil Thanks for the hint, already forgot that I manually copied GUP to the zip package update folder.

@donho At https://notepad-plus-plus.org/features/plugin-admin.html the links are still at
N++ 7.5.9
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/pluginListTestTools/notepad++.7.5.9.debug.x86.zip
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/pluginListTestTools/notepad++7.5.9.debug.x64.zip
and GUP 5.0.3
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/pluginListTestTools/wingup.5.0.3.release.x32.zip
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/pluginListTestTools/wingup.5.0.3.release.x64.zip

which should be updated also to avoid confusion.

MAPJe71 · Nov 14, 2018, 1:14 PM

Up till this version I had both the 32-bit and the 64-bit N++ installed with their plugins installed in C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\plugins and C:\Program Files\Notepad++\plugins respectively. The configuration files were shared and located in C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++.
This seems no longer possible as plugins are now loaded from C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Notepad++\plugins for both 32-bit and 64-bit N++.

donho · Nov 14, 2018, 12:42 PM

@gurikbal-singh

settings > import > import plugins (s)
not working

It’ll be fixed in the next release.

donho · Nov 14, 2018, 12:49 PM

@dinkumoil

File nppPluginList.dll is stored in a folder in the user profile of the user who has installed/updated Npp. Thus other users on the same computer have no plugin list.
Except the standard plugins installed with Npp installer, already installed plugins are left in Npp install dir, thus they are not available in Npp Plugins menu.
Plugin Admin displays plugins in an unsorted list.

The most important is 1., it should be fixed ASAP.

Why the most important is 1 ?
OTOH, people will be able to download NppPluginList.dll in the future.

donho · Nov 14, 2018, 1:00 PM

@dinkumoil

Solved it. I had only copied all plugin DLL files to the new plugins directory in %LocalAppData%, thus there had been plugin DLL files in the old plugins directory too. Removing these solved the problem.

Are you telling us that it’s not enough to copy the existing plugins into new PLUGINS HOME, and it necessary to remove existing plugins from their location to make plugins be loaded?

That’s wired - copying the existing plugins into new PLUGINS HOME by respecting the new plugin folder structure SHOULD BE ENOUGH. The plugins left in the old location are just ignore. Is it not the case?

dinkumoil · Nov 14, 2018, 1:06 PM

@donho said:

Why the most important is 1 ?
OTOH, people will be able to download NppPluginList.dll in the future.

Point 3. is a comfort feature. Point 2. is nasty for users but will not be changed (useless to discuss about it). Point 1. is also nasty for users because currently they can not download easily a NppPluginList.dll and I already thought you will not refuse to change that.

donho · Nov 14, 2018, 1:08 PM

@chcg

Is it expected/intended behaviour that the plugin admin is not available for the zip/7z package?

It’s not an expected/intended behaviour that the plugin admin is not available for the zip/7z package, it’s rather a limitation due to the current ziplib used in WinGUp.

If you know a good alternative lib which is EASY (ie. with the vcxproj) to integrate, please let me know.

bveldkamp · Nov 14, 2018, 1:08 PM

I’m sure I’m missing something obvious, but… How do I open this new plugin manager? I think I checked every menu twice already.

dinkumoil · Nov 14, 2018, 1:09 PM

@donho said:

Are you telling us that it’s not enough to copy the existing plugins into new PLUGINS HOME, and it necessary to remove existing plugins from their location to make plugins be loaded?

That was my experience. Please note: the problem was with old Plugin Manager plugin, not with Notepad++ itself.

donho · Nov 14, 2018, 1:11 PM

@chcg

At https://notepad-plus-plus.org/features/plugin-admin.html the links are still at
N++ 7.5.9

It should be OK now.

https://notepad-plus-plus.org/pluginListTestTools/notepad++.7.5.9.debug.x86.zip
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/pluginListTestTools/notepad++7.5.9.debug.x64.zip
and GUP 5.0.3
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/pluginListTestTools/wingup.5.0.3.release.x32.zip
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/pluginListTestTools/wingup.5.0.3.release.x64.zip

which should be updated also to avoid confusion.

Thank you for your heads up. Will do it ASAP.