Notepad++ just deleted all the text from my files

pnedev

I submitted this PR (https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/pull/6164)
which fixes the issue with deleting a file, leaving it with zero size on save when there is no free space left on disk (I verified that) and hopefully fixes the NUL file corruption on reboot / power loss (I haven’t verified that because the issue is not easily reproducible).

donho

I really don’t think it’s Notepad++ issue.

Here’s the similar discussion but for another editor:
https://github.com/atom/atom/issues/11406

As you might all know, ATOM is web browser based code editor, and their code to write on disk (JavaScript?) has nothing in common with Notepad++.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but for me it’s rather an OS issue.

pnedev

@donho ,

There are actually two issues:

File is erased when you try to save but you don’t have enough space or the actual write fails for some other reason (Read here https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/issues/5664 and here https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/18358/file-content-vanishing/17). This is fixed by https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/pull/6164.
File is corrupted when there is a sudden power loss (or Windows 10 restarts because of updates: https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/issues/6133). This might be an OS issue to some extent but we can certainly do better by immediately flushing the file data to disk on save. This is something the CRT doesn’t do thus it is better to use native Win32 API for file access. This is what I’ve done in https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/pull/6164. The same approach should be used for writing settings files and sessions (I haven’t done it yet because I had to modify TinyXML code for that and the change would be too big for the reviewers) and also reading files should use it (just to unify the file access approach).

dinkumoil

@donho said in Notepad++ just deleted all the text from my files:

for me it’s rather an OS issue.

May be, but that’s no reason to decline fixes that help to overcome these issues.

As a developer I frequently have to write code to circumvent bugs caused by otherones code, that’s quite normal. And this issue is a catastrophic one, it should be fixed.

Alan Kilborn

@donho said in Notepad++ just deleted all the text from my files:

but for me it’s rather an OS issue.

But…virtually no one will blame the OS. They will blame Notepad++. That’s just the way it is. And a text editor doesn’t need that type (losing data) of reputation.

carypt

as i discovered from working on a file (in npp 7.8.9 or 7.9 32b), saving edits of an opened file under same name (save-as-operation) didnt save (by external editor checked). ( it said to do so , but did not .) shutting npp down and restart npp again did not change on this . buuut, when i closed the file-tab (with out further editing) in npp i was asked if i want to save the changes (should have already been saved !) , then the changes were written to disc(-file) . it seems the save-as worked only with a new filename.

this implies a still "hand on file"behaviour of npp , not beeing able to overwrite the existing file-source(-file). it would explain the nul-ing of opened files , because the only valid version of the file seems to be in working memory of npp .

i would expect a 1) original-disc-file-version and a 2) working file-version in npp-memory , and a 3) backup-file-version written to backup folder . saving 2) on 1) (overwriting) didnt work , whereas saving 2) on 3) (overwriting) seems good working . saving 2) on 1)(overwriting) works only when closing file-tab when been asked (save file … ? - window pop).

to prevent this , open only copies of files in npp , and save work by using a new file name .

sry for my so late reply here .

carypt

maybe it needs a fourth 4)disc-copy-file-version for notepad++ to work on , and not on the 1)original-disc-file-version .

Alan Kilborn

@carypt said in Notepad++ just deleted all the text from my files:

saving edits of an opened file under same name (save-as-operation)

Ok, so WHY would you do this?
Don’t do a “Save As”, just do a “Save”.

I find that if I try this, unintuitive as it may seem, I get this:

If I say “Yes”, I get:

and any edits in my file are not affected (the file is not saved).

So, aside from the fact that you shouldn’t do this, I didn’t see any real harm in it.

carypt

hello , i cannot believe , you see no harm in it , that npp isnt able to produce a simple save operation , because it is already opened in npp . “why” should i use the “save as”-command : to absolutely know , what is done and where and under what name in my filesystem . i can follow and control the file operations , it is nailed down to what where and when . i cant see , why a replacement operation is unusual , at least notepad in window is able to perfom it ( must i add aminus to npp ?)

carypt

i wouldnt say the nul-effect is caused by the “save as matter” , but it looks suspicious .
what if i make a different thread to it ?

carypt

i would at least expect an error message , explicite displaying that the save operation (overwriting) wasnt successful instead of displaying a visibly known fact . or what ? i get no feedback about data loss .

Alan Kilborn

@carypt said in Notepad++ just deleted all the text from my files:

to absolutely know , what is done and where and under what name in my filesystem

When you have a file open in a tab in Notepad++, you can see where changes to it will be saved by:

looking at the title bar of N++, where the full path is shown (there is a preference setting to turn this off but it is on by default)
hovering over the tab with the mouse, at which point a tooltip window will pop up, showing the complete path

REPEAT: There is no need ever to do a Save As on an existing file, unless you intend to create a copy with a different name.

You seem to be a different kind of thinker.

And for other readers: No, @carypt 's postings in this thread are NOT related to the NUL NUL NUL problem in Notepad++.