New RC with new added option to allow the backward search of regex :
https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/19514/7-8-7-release-candidate-4

I lock this thread so let’s talk in the thread of RC4.

So, finally, the URL hovered global style could be renamed Background URL ?

That actually makes sense as it “highlights” (changes the background) instead of changing the font color (foreground) yet the Style Configurator still calls it “Foreground” and has “Background” greyed-out / disabled:

Either way, this new link highlighting is growing on my - I like it better than the old way of just changing text color. And now that I’ve lightened the color - it pops even better on my dark them background (Obsidian style as you see in the image above).

I second the Scintilla version in Debug Info - that would be useful!

Cheers.

First of all, thank you very much, Don, for responding to each of the points I made !

• Regarding the issues links, I understand your goal of clarity and, personally, I don’t see any downside, to post a list of these links, from time to time, if I have encountered, myself, some difficulties to figure out some points of the change.log file

• Thanks also for the additional links, regarding points 8, 12 , 16 and 18. So, finally, the URL hovered global style could be renamed Background URL ?

• Regarding the adding of Boost and Scintilla version, it’s not that important ! I was just relaying an idea from @alan-kilborn, from a recent post. However, It could help to figure out if some Scintilla functionalities are already implemented in Notepad++ or not !

• Finally, regarding a new regexBackwardDir setting, I can only pray that many N++ users will support my idea ;-))

Maybe, I should go and burn a candle to Saint Bruno, the patron saint of my city, or rather to Isidore of Seville, the patron saint of computer scientists ;-))

Refer    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Catholic_Church/Patron_Archive/April_4

It is the particular organization of his work Etymologies (Etymologiæ), indexed by first, then second letter (the beginning of a tree classification by letters) which will be worth to him to be, in the XXth century, named by the Vatican, patron saint of the computer scientists.

Best Regards,

guy038

You asked for reactions from users to your decision to disable backward regex searching, so here is mine.

I am a prolific author and one of reasons I chose Notepad++ over, among other editors, EditPadPro, is precisely the possibility to use reverse regex.

12 out of my 30 macro’s to improve my workflow employ backward regex searches, I use them literally hundreds of times a day and it would be very cumbersome if not impossible to rerecord them without backward regex.

If you remove the option I will have to try my hand at scripting languages, with which I am totally unfamiliar, or find another editor, if any.

So I agree totally with Guy (by the way, Guy, thanks a million for showing me the regex way!) that backward regex search should stay as an option for advanced users.

Thank you for reading this, and thank you for my favorite application.

Don, would it possible to insert these links, in future Change.log files, if it does not create extra work for you, of course ? I think it could usefull for all ;-))

change.log is for providing a global info of new release to the all users, so I try to make it as simple and pertinent as possible.
For the advanced users, they can always check the commit where the issues are usually indicated.

The list, described above, is not exhaustive. :-( Don could you give the issue links for the points 8, 12, 16 and 18, though points 12 and 16 are rather easy to figure out !

You can find the issue links in the comment zone in the following commits:
8: https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/4738c96318418c7e338aa3c80ea2edfed81fa61c
12: https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/9f29015a71a515788b3e0973ce8b07768d97814a
16: https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/9f23e1aadbac16d83f90bff39711778a24a90676
18: https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/4be846e7eae0a33c3664817aeb0ed55317036e81

BTW, Don, may I ask you for an small improvement, in the Debug Info… panel ?
Could it be possible to add, both, to the Debug Info panel :

• The Scintilla version
• The Boost engine version

Though I don’t see the need of Scintilla version, I will consider it (it could be implemented by checking SciLexer.dll binary version dynamically). However, the boost engine version cannot be detected dynamically, so no boost version for sure.

Also, please, Don, could you consider this possibility : in this line of the config.xml configuration file :
Could you add a new attribute, let’s say regexBackwardDir=“no” ?
This way, only experienced users, who are familiar with this attribute, would change the default no value to the value yes, with full knowledge of the facts !

With @sasumner we have talked about this issue and brought this conclusion. The result of backward search of regexpr could confuse users so it’s better to disallow it to avoid the confusion. We will see the reaction of users. if the requests are frequent then we will see if we do workaround.

Feel free to make a pull request for langs.model.xml for all languages (or at least the languages you are famillier).

Done #8368. The other languages all had a reasonable (IMO) default, so C++ is the only one I changed the order for.

Thanks.

This new display effect for the dark theme need to add/modify in dark theme xml files - feel free to make a PR for it.

I’ll test it out and see, but like I said it was more of a nitpick - I’m not partial to either way so if this is better performance - I’ll take it!

Thanks for all your work - looking forward to 7.8.7 official release!!!

Cheers.

Sorry to nitpick, I’m not sure I like either one better and I usually use a dark theme so can barely see the foreground or background color changes on hover. The mouse change from pointer to finger is what triggers for me that this is a clickable URL. Just wanted to point it out.

The old mechanism for clickable link causes a lot problem and performance issue, that’s why we have implemented in another way which is cleaner and more efficient. The price to pay is the hovered effect changed (and I kind of like it), but it worth it.
This new display effect for the dark theme need to add/modify in dark theme xml files - feel free to make a PR for it.

Oh, thanks. That helps. It would be nice if it were the default state of the langs.xml, but at least I can change the order to suit my needs.

Feel free to make a pull request for langs.model.xml for all languages (or at least the languages you are famillier).

enhance new style file save dialog by selecting right file filter

YES, that works now!!! So great :-) I think that will make a lot of people happy as it comes up in comments / questions on the forum here often.

@donho said in 7.8.7 Release Candidate 3:

Fix a clickable link hover colour regression

(Note in the images below, my cursor is hovering over the URL although my cursor doesn’t show in the screen capture images.)

This still seems different, 7.8.7rc3 seems to add background highlight:

7.8.6 changes the font color:

Sorry to nitpick, I’m not sure I like either one better and I usually use a dark theme so can barely see the foreground or background color changes on hover. The mouse change from pointer to finger is what triggers for me that this is a clickable URL. Just wanted to point it out.

I’m very excited about the Document map fix that now works on Windows 10 multiple screens as well as the “Save As” enhancement!

Cheers.

just modify lang.xml regarding c++ settings

Oh, thanks. That helps. It would be nice if it were the default state of the langs.xml, but at least I can change the order to suit my needs.

Fix a clickable link hover colour regression

Yep, the highlight color is now set by the Style Configurator > Global Styles > URL Hovered > Foreground Colour.

enhance new style file save dialog by selecting right file filter

Thanks! If I make a new file, and set it to Perl, the extension defaults to .pl; with the langs.xml fix, if I create a new file and set it to C++, it defaults to .cpp.

Can you change the c++ list to be *.cpp; *.cxx; *.cc; *.h; *.hh; *.hpp; *.hxx; *.ino? That way, when saving c++ files, the default extension is .cpp, which in my experience is more common than saving C++ files as .h (yes, I make header files, but I make more source-code files).

Just modify lang.xml regarding c++ settings to the following line, then restart your Notepad++ :

<Language name="cpp" ext="cpp cxx cc h hh hpp hxx ino" commentLine="//" commentStart="/*" commentEnd="*/">