How do I use ctrl+backspace shortcut to delete word's worth in Notepad++ because it won't let me

Coga Fireese

I wanted to use shift+backspace to use to erase a word’s worth like on how a normal computer I would type, but notepad++ wouldn’t allow me to unless I’d add ctrl or alt to it

It’s because of consistency’s sake that I wanted it to add on to this, and some of the keys could work it’s just that a few exceptions they won’t let me allow to use the shortcut I wanted like this shift+backspace here.

I would love to help me on this if you want to suggest me on anything or to find a plugin to make something like this possible to work

carypt

i have no idea , but i see shift + backspace is already in use . did you try to clear those dependencies first ?

Coga Fireese

no conflicts, I’ve deleted them all and the default for shift backspace is supposedly just the backspace button, it’s just another shortcut added in Notepad++

PeterJones

This post is deleted!

PeterJones

@Coga-Fireese ,

Interesting. I can confirm that other keystrokes will allow me to Add and/or Apply, but it won’t let me do Shift+Backspace.

I even went to SCI_DELETEBACK, which by default (verified with fresh portable edition unzip) has Shift+Backspace as the alternate keystroke:

If I Remove the Shift+Backspace entry, it now doesn’t allow me to Add and/or Apply

whereas if I try a different keystroke (like Alt+Shift+Backspace), those entries are enabled:

If I cancel out of there (I don’t want to lose Shift+Backspace for now) and go to a different Scintilla command (SCI_DELETEBACKNOTLINE) – if I try to pick Shift+Backspace

… it tells me there’s a conflict and won’t let me Add/Apply. If I try just backspace, it also tells me there’s a conflict and won’t let me Add/Apply.

But if I try a different key (like TAB), it tells me there is a conflict, but it will let me Add/Apply:

So, the shortcut mapper treats Backspace and Shift+Backspace different from other keys. It may be the the OS doesn’t allow (or doesn’t always honor) mapping those two to anything other than backspace functionality. I cannot think of an editor application where Shift+Backspace has a different meaning from Backspace, but I also cannot ever remember trying that key combo before.

I just tried the experiment where I unmapped Shift+Backspace and tried typing it: it inserts the BS character (with its black-box set-representation). So it can do something different than just backspace over the previous character. But maybe there’s something about the underlying Scintilla component that won’t let Shift+Backspace do anything but do a normal backspace or type the BS character

However, by following the procedure to edit a config file, I was able to edit shortcuts.xml, and change the shortcut on the default Run > Open file in another instance action to make use of that keystroke:

    <Command name="Open file in another instance" Ctrl="no" Alt="no" Shift="yes" Key="8">$(NPP_FULL_FILE_PATH) $(CURRENT_WORD) -nosession -multiInst</Command>

When I reload Notepad++, that action is now associated with Shift+Backspace:

Similarly, if I set a command like SCI_DELETEBACKNOTLINE to a dummy shortcut *, like Shift+Alt+Backspace, exit, then edit shortcuts.xml so the scintilla keys look like:

<ScintillaKeys>
    <ScintKey ScintID="2326" menuCmdID="0" Ctrl="no" Alt="no" Shift="no" Key="8" />        <!-- remove the shift+backspace from SCI_DELETEBACK -->
    <ScintKey ScintID="2344" menuCmdID="0" Ctrl="no" Alt="no" Shift="yes" Key="8" />       <!-- set SCI_DELETEBACKNOTLINE to shift+backspace manually -->
</ScintillaKeys>

when I reload Notepad++, that change has taken effect, and Shift+Backspace is now mapped from SCI_DELTEBACKNOTLINE:

So, while the Shortcut Mapper GUI won’t let you assign the Shift+Backspace (or just Backspace) key, if you edit shortcuts.xml, you can re-map

Hope this helps.

PeterJones

Tangent:

I was curious what SCI_DELETEBACKNOTLINE did differently than the normal backspace behavior, so since I had it mapped in that fresh portable, I tried it. If you have text on the line you are editing, that command will erase normally. But if you are at the first character of the line, where a normal backspace would delete the previous line’s EOL characters and take you to the end of the previous line, the SCI_DELETEBACKNOTLINE will not erase the EOL characters or take you to the end of the previous line – it will just stop at the beginning of the line you’re at.

Interesting. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a desire for the editor to stop me from accidentally backspacing to the previous line… but I guess it’s good to know such a feature exists. :-)