<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Use N++ &amp; its syntax highlighting within Explorer&#x27;s preview pane]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto">Windows’s Explorer allows for file previews, e. g. if Foxit Reader is installed,any PDF file can be view in its so called <code>Preview pane</code> without acutually launching the program &amp; opening the file.</p>
<p dir="auto">I find this <em>very</em> helpful, e. g. for quick lookup of settings within a <code>.config</code> file, hence I’d like to enable this for any file previously associated with N++.<br />
Leveraging N++'s syntax highlighting capability within the <code>Preview pane</code> would be more than welcome, too.</p>
<p dir="auto">More than 5 years ago, <a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/uid/4333">@Steve-Stoenner</a> already <a href="https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/11303/preview-any-kind-of-text-file-with-notepad">asked</a> for this, but <a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/uid/3662">@Claudia-Frank</a> just referred to <code>modify registry</code>, i. e. wasn’t really helpful.</p>
<p dir="auto">There’s even an open <a href="https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/issues/5910" rel="nofollow ugc">GitHub issue</a> in N++'s repository for such feature, but almost 2 years later, no actual progress has been made - except pointing to a <a href="https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/issues/1056" rel="nofollow ugc">closed issue</a> which itself only refers to a soon-to-be offline CodePlex repository.</p>
<p dir="auto">Required steps for manual addition can be found in Microsoft’s <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/how-to-register-a-preview-handler" rel="nofollow ugc">Win32 API docs</a> &amp; there’s even Stephen Toub’s <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/toub/preview-handler-association-editor" rel="nofollow ugc">Preview Handler Association Editor</a> created back in 2006 (link to ZIP archive with both, executable &amp; source code, is right below the 2nd paragraph).<br />
Though, I’m looking for a “smoother” solution, i. e. out-of-the-box support in N++, because <s>race car</s> @Don-HO (does best).</p>
]]></description><link>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/21087/use-n-its-syntax-highlighting-within-explorer-s-preview-pane</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:54:26 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/21087.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2021 09:54:28 GMT</pubDate><ttl>60</ttl><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Use N++ &amp; its syntax highlighting within Explorer&#x27;s preview pane on Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:37:51 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/uid/7377">@Alan-Kilborn</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">No, I didn’t.</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Glad to hear that, thanks! 👍🏻</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Even so, it would require developers to do development work.</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">That’s always the basic requirement for any software change &amp; NSIS would be way simpler than C++, at least for me… 😉</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">I think there is some amount of this going on.</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Again, glad to hear that! 👏🏻</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">It sounds as if you have some development expertise.</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Correct.</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">A good way to get a change you want is to develop it yourself and submit it for inclusion.<br />
Just a thought.</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Prerequisite for that is a confirmation it’s doable in NSIS &amp; desired to be done there - because I neither have enough knowledge to write C++ code nor think can afford enough leisure time to learn the required amount.</p>
<p dir="auto">Fun fact: I’ve done quite some stuff with NSIS &amp; it’s “IDE” a couple of years ago - with actual “coding” done in N++ &amp; using the “NSIS IDE” only for compiling… 😅</p>
]]></description><link>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/65460</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/65460</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eagle3386]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 29 Apr 2021 13:37:51 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Use N++ &amp; its syntax highlighting within Explorer&#x27;s preview pane on Thu, 29 Apr 2021 11:35:21 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/uid/10959">@Eagle3386</a> said in <a href="/post/65444">Use N++ &amp; its syntax highlighting within Explorer's preview pane</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Seems like you interpreted my request as kinda “Do it! NOW!!!”-sounding.</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">No, I didn’t.</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">request a feature that I think requires no actual change in N++'s core, but rather additions to maybe the NSIS installer</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Even so, it would require developers to do development work.</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">While I do agree with the basic message behind what you’re saying, I do suggest to triage issues via labels, i. e. rejected, accepted or better yet, something like next-release or next-year, etc.</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">I think there is some amount of this going on.</p>
<p dir="auto">It sounds as if you have some development expertise.<br />
A good way to get a change you want is to develop it yourself and submit it for inclusion.<br />
Just a thought.</p>
]]></description><link>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/65447</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/65447</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Alan Kilborn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 29 Apr 2021 11:35:21 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Use N++ &amp; its syntax highlighting within Explorer&#x27;s preview pane on Thu, 29 Apr 2021 09:01:21 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/uid/7377">@Alan-Kilborn</a> said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">It is probably because, for most users, it isn’t that valuable of a feature.<br />
Developers of Notepad++ are an “all volunteer” force, and as such have to pick and choose what development work to do with their limited available time.  They can’t tackle everything.</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Seems like you interpreted my request as kinda “Do it! NOW!!!111”-sounding.<br />
If that’s true, I want to immediately apologize for that as it wasn’t even my intention to sound like that - quite the contrary was actually my goal: keeping it down to objective terms &amp; referring to the older post just to make clear that there’s no sufficient answer yet &amp; I can’t post there anymore due to the thread being locked.</p>
<p dir="auto">Additionally, coding in C# as my day job, I totally agree with your argument about limited time available. Again, I was just trying to <em>kindly</em> request a feature that I think requires no actual change in N++'s core, but rather additions to maybe the NSIS installer so that Windows knows of N++'s power better &amp; leverages it where appropriate - if ever by the user.</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Sometimes people think that just because an issue is opened, that their request will be completed and integrated in.  This is simply not the case.</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">While I do agree with the basic message behind what you’re saying, I do suggest to triage issues via labels, i. e. <code>rejected</code>, <code>accepted</code> or better yet, something like <code>next-release</code> or <code>next-year</code>, etc.<br />
This way, it’s immediately clear for <em>anyone</em> if it’s even considered or not &amp; documented for similar requests in the future.</p>
]]></description><link>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/65444</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/65444</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eagle3386]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 29 Apr 2021 09:01:21 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Use N++ &amp; its syntax highlighting within Explorer&#x27;s preview pane on Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:09:52 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto"><a class="plugin-mentions-user plugin-mentions-a" href="https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/uid/10959">@Eagle3386</a> said in <a href="/post/65399">Use N++ &amp; its syntax highlighting within Explorer's preview pane</a>:</p>
<p dir="auto">It is probably because, for most users, it isn’t that valuable of a feature.<br />
Developers of Notepad++ are an “all volunteer” force, and as such have to pick and choose what development work to do with their limited available time.  They can’t tackle everything.</p>
<blockquote>
<p dir="auto">There’s even an open GitHub issue in N++'s repository for such feature, but almost 2 years later, no actual progress has been made</p>
</blockquote>
<p dir="auto">Sometimes people think that just because an issue is opened, that their request will be completed and integrated in.  This is simply not the case.</p>
]]></description><link>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/65406</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/65406</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Alan Kilborn]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:09:52 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reply to Use N++ &amp; its syntax highlighting within Explorer&#x27;s preview pane on Wed, 28 Apr 2021 10:00:39 GMT]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p dir="auto">Addendum: Forgot to link to MSDN’S <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/desktop/legacy/dd940374(v=vs.85)" rel="nofollow ugc">sample implementation</a>.</p>
]]></description><link>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/65400</link><guid isPermaLink="true">https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/65400</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eagle3386]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2021 10:00:39 GMT</pubDate></item></channel></rss>