FAQ: Function List Basics

[MAPJe71]

Function List parse steps:

1. The <parser> “commentExpr”-attribute is used to find all the comment code blocks;
2. The <classRange> “mainExpr”-attribute is used to find all the class code blocks in the none-comment code blocks;
3. For each class code block found:
   1. The <classRange><className><nameExpr> “expr”-attribute is used to find the classes name;
   2. The <classRange><function> “mainExpr”-attribute is used to find the method definitions;
   3. For each method definition found within the class code block:
      1. The <classRange><function><functionName><funcNameExpr> “expr”-attribute is used to find the method’s name;
      2. The method is added to the trunk of the tree as branch-leaf using class name and method name respectively;
4. For each remaining code block i.e. neither being a comment nor a class code block:
   1. The <function> “mainExpr”-attribute is used to find the function and method definitions;
   2. For each function/method definition:
      1. The <function><functionName><nameExpr> “expr”-attribute is used to find the function/method’s name;
      2. The <function><className> “expr”-attribute is used to find the function/method’s class name;
      3. The function/method is added to the trunk of the tree as:
         1. a branch-leaf using class name and method name respectively when a class name was found;
         2. a leaf using the function name when no a class name was found;

ExampleClass.hpp

class ExampleClass {
  void Method1();
  void Method2() {
    return;
  }
  void Method3();
}
void ExampleClass::Method1() {
  return;
}

Collapsed:

class ExampleClass {\r\n  void Method1();\r\n  void Method2() {\r\n    return;\r\n  }\r\n  void Method3();\r\n}\r\nvoid ExampleClass::Method1() {\r\n  return;\r\n}\r\n

|<-1--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->|    |<-2------------------------>|
      |<-3------>|                             |<-4---------->|                                                         |<-5------>|  |<-6->|
                                                    |<-7->|

Description for numbered code blocks:

1. class definition to be matched by <classRange> “mainExpr”-attribute optionally combined with “openSymbol” and “closeSymbol”-attributes;
2. function definition to be matched by <function> “mainExpr”-attribute;
3. class name to be matched by <classRange><className><nameExpr> “expr”-attribute;
4. function definition to be matched by <classRange><function> “mainExpr”-attribute;
5. class name to be matched by <function><className> “expr”-attribute;
6. function name to be matched by <function><functionName><nameExpr> “expr”-attribute;
7. function name to be matched by <classRange><function><functionName><funcNameExpr> “expr”-attribute;

Result:

ExampleClass.hpp
\--- ExampleClass
     +--- Method2
     \--- Method1

Note:
When the list is unsorted Method2 is listed before Method1 as class code blocks are parsed before any remaining code blocks

ExampleClass.cpp

#include "ClassExample.h"
void HelperFunction() {
  return;
}
void ExampleClass::Method3() {
  return;
}

Collapsed:

#include "ClassExample.h"\r\nvoid HelperFunction() {\r\n  return;\r\n}\r\nvoid ExampleClass::Method3() {\r\n  return;\r\n}\r\n

                             |<-1----------------->|                      |<-2------------------------>|
                                  |<-3-------->|                               |<-4------>|  |<-5->|

Description for numbered code blocks:

1. function definition to be matched by <function> “mainExpr”-attribute;
2. function definition to be matched by <function> “mainExpr”-attribute;
3. function name to be matched by <function><functionName><nameExpr> “expr”-attribute;
4. class name to be matched by <function><className> “expr”-attribute;
5. function name to be matched by <function><functionName><nameExpr> “expr”-attribute;

Result:

ExampleClass.hpp
+--- ExampleClass
|    \--- Method3
|
\--- HelperFunction

[MAPJe71]

Known Issues:

1. Comment has to be preceded by at least two white-space characters e.g. carriage-return + line-feed, line-feed + one space or tab, or 2 spaces (for inline comment).

2. The file has to end with an empty line.
   e.g.

    class ThisClassWillNotShowUp {CRLF
        void Method() {CRLF
        }CRLF
    }EOF
   

   and

    class ThisClassWillShowUp {CRLF
        void Method() {CRLF
        }CRLF
    }CRLF
    EOF
   

3. “Embedded” comment is not supported when the ‘commentExpr’-attribute is defined. All the comment blocks (found in parse step 1) are skipped when searching for class code blocks (parse step 2) and method/function code blocks (parse step 3.3 and 4, resp.) i.e. the function definition has to start and end in the same non-comment zone (even if ‘mainExpr’ takes into account function-definition-embedded comments).

   e.g. C/C++ function definition with “embedded” comment:

    void                                                   /* comment */
    FunctionName                                           /* comment */
    (                                                      /* comment */
      /* comment */Argument1Type/* comment */Argument1Name /* comment */
                                                           /* comment */
    , Argument2Type Argument2Name                          /* comment */
    , ...                                                  /* comment */
    )                                                      /* comment */
   

4. A file extension association requires at least one (dummy) UDL association.

   e.g.

   <association id="markdown_header" userDefinedLangName="Markdown (Default)" />
   <association id="markdown_header" userDefinedLangName="CommonMark"         />
   <association id="markdown_header" userDefinedLangName="MultiMarkdown"      />
   <association id="markdown_header" ext=".md"                                />
   <association id="markdown_header" ext=".markdown"                          />
   

   Update: Starting in v7.9.1, the ext is no longer used, and Function List definitions must be mapped to either a built-in language or a named User Defined Language.

5. The ‘userDefinedLangName’-attribute value has to match the name of the UDL exactly as it appears in the ‘Language’-menu i.e. case-sensitive.

[PeterJones]

For the interested user, @MAPJe71 has a collection of Notepad++ Function List definitions (and other useful files) for a wide variety of programming languages:

• https://github.com/MAPJe71/Languages