Parameter hints on userDefinedLang

Vincent Van Humbeeck

Hello,

I have defined a userDefinedLang, and it is saved within userDefinedLang.xml file in the main directory. However, there are several langages inside that file. I would like to have parameters hints for functions on my langage.

I have understood that you need to create an xml file in the AutoCompletion subdirectory in order to do that, but what name do I give to that file ?

userDefinedLang.xml or myLang.xml ?

I’ve tried both, and it’s not working.

Thanks.

PeterJones

@Vincent-Van-Humbeeck ,

Your setup sounds right. So some things to double-check:

Per https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/config-files/#other-configuration-files, the autoCompletion files must go in the Notepad++ installation folder, not in %AppData%\Notepad++\autoCompletion\ or a cloud folder.

The official auto-completion docs at https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/auto-completion/#auto-completion-file-format do confirm that you need to name the file after the UDL language name: <Language name>.xml. So, for example, I just created a new UDL called Language With Space, with a couple keywords and the extension lws. I then created <installdir>\autoCompletion\Language With Space.xml (yes, spaces in the name), which contained

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<NotepadPlus>
	<AutoComplete language="Language With Space">
		<Environment ignoreCase="no" startFunc="(" stopFunc=")" paramSeparator="," terminal=";" />
		<KeyWord name="keyOne" />
		<KeyWord name="keyThree" />
		<KeyWord name="keyTwo" />
	</AutoComplete>
</NotepadPlus>

… making sure the language="..." matched the filename and UDL language name.

Please also note that as per https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/auto-completion/#sorting, the <KeyWord> tags must be sorted by name order, and “Failure to do so will result in a non working file, without a warning.”

But when all of those are properly followed, I got the KeyWord entries to auto-complete in my User Defined Language

Vincent Van Humbeeck

@PeterJones
Thanks a lot for the explanations !

How could the autocompletion file go into the installation folder ?
There’s already the userDefinedLang.xml file there.
You cannot have the same file name twice there …

There’s really something I do not understand : when you create a user defined langage, it’s being added into the userDefinedLang.xml file. It is not created into its own xml file. I can export it to a single xml file, but then how do I select it ?

I’m really not sure on how to create a new langage file that will stand on its own in a separate xml file. It seems to me that the standard way for NP++ will be to add it to the userDefinedLang.xml file.

PeterJones

@Vincent-Van-Humbeeck ,

How could the autocompletion file go into the installation folder ?

Sorry, I should have been more clear: " the autoCompletion files must go in the autoCompletion subdirectory of the Notepad++ installation folder". In my defense, my example slightly further in the post was quite explicit, that the auto-completion file for “Lanuage With Space” would be saved as <installdir>\autoCompletion\Language With Space.xml

There’s already the userDefinedLang.xml file there.

But I didn’t say to call it userDefinedLang.xml, so there would have been no conflict.

There’s really something I do not understand : when you create a user defined langage, it’s being added into the userDefinedLang.xml file. It is not created into its own xml file. I can export it to a single xml file, but then how do I select it ?

That’s confusing because of a change of mentality that Notepad++ made some versions back: it originally always kept all user defined languages in the one file; the more recent versions allow splitting those out into separate files in %AppData%\Notepad++\userDefineLangs\ directory (to make for easy import of a new language: just copy the file to that folder and restart Notepad++), but when you initially create a UDL, it will still be created in the combined %AppData%\Notepad++\userDefinedLang.xml file.

not sure on how to create a new langage file that will stand on its own in a separate xml file

If you want it in a separate file for one you create: you can use the UDL dialog’s “Export” button to export it and save it in the %AppData%\Notepad++\userDefineLangs\, then use the Remove button to remove the copy in the main userDefinedLang.xml file. Then exit Notepad++ and restart, and it will see the copy in the folder, and recognize that UDL again.

Vincent Van Humbeeck

@PeterJones

Thank you very much.
It worked!