Notepad++ v8.5.1 Release Candidate

[PeterJones]

@Snabel42,

I would never in my life have found this feature without following the development or reading the release notes

Release notes is how developers expect people to learn about new features.
And this is a release candidate – if you are installing a release candidate, which requires manual installation, and which is downloadable from this announcement thread which begins with release notes, you are doubly expected to read the release notes.

It would perhaps be nice if it could be made more “discoverable” in a later release.

It will be in the next version of the online user manual. But I usually don’t start working on the manual updates until the Release Candidate is released – which was only a few hours ago.

@conky77 ,

It would be better to add an arrow to the button to show that there are more choices.

How do you add an arrow to something whose symbol is already literally an arrow character? And how would you suggest that the arrow be indicated so people know it has to be ctrl+click to get it. IMO, hover text would do a much better job of communicating that behavior than another arrow (and would probably help the user experience)

I would also like better whether, in the localization files, there would be only visible characters

That’s 100% a function of your font choice. Courier New shows all three as boxes. Deja Vu Sans Mono shows ⇅ okay, but not ⤵ or ⤴

and Segoe UI shows all three, but is not monospace:

Given that they are less-supported characters, it probably would make sense to use &#x-entities rather than characters

-----------------

@donho, since these aren’t regressions per se, would you like @conky77 and/or @Snabel42 to make official issues regarding the hover text for the button, and changing the localization files to use entities?

[Snabel42]

@PeterJones said in Notepad++ v8.5.1 Release Candidate:

@Snabel42,

I would never in my life have found this feature without following the development or reading the release notes

Release notes is how developers expect people to learn about new features.
And this is a release candidate – if you are installing a release candidate, which requires manual installation, and which is downloadable from this announcement thread which begins with release notes, you are doubly expected to read the release notes.

I’m not sure release notes have to be mutually exclusive to having more or less discoverability in the UI. At least I don’t see why one has to rule out the other.

@donho, since these aren’t regressions per se, would you like @conky77 and/or @Snabel42 to make official issues regarding the hover text for the button, and changing the localization files to use entities?

Not intended to be an issue from my sides at least, much less a blocker (thus the “perhaps a future release comment”).

But fair point that perhaps the intention of these RC thread is not to provide general thoughts or feedback but more strictly ro report hard errors with the RC changes/additions

[donho]

@PeterJones said in Notepad++ v8.5.1 Release Candidate:

Given that they are less-supported characters, it probably would make sense to use &#x-entities rather than characters

It makes sense.
Please do a PR (for the next release v8.5.2) if you want to. But please test the PR to make sure it works.

@donho, since these aren’t regressions per se, would you like @conky77 and/or @Snabel42 to make official issues regarding the hover text for the button, and changing the localization files to use entities?

Sure, I will see what I can do about it in the next release.

[Coises]

@PeterJones said in Notepad++ v8.5.1 Release Candidate:

How do you add an arrow to something whose symbol is already literally an arrow character? And how would you suggest that the arrow be indicated so people know it has to be ctrl+click to get it. IMO, hover text would do a much better job of communicating that behavior than another arrow (and would probably help the user experience)

It’s a bit ugly, but it’s just a quick sketch. I think the idea is clear enough? (Click in the top third to copy replace to find, bottom third to copy find to replace, middle to exchange?)

[Stefan Pendl]

@donho
How about adding a drop-down to the find dialog to display the exchange options.
Like it is done by WinMerge, see image below.

[conky77]

@donho, since these aren’t regressions per se, would you like @conky77 and/or @Snabel42 to make official issues regarding the hover text for the button, and changing the localization files to use entities?

Sure, I will see what I can do about it in the next release.

Issue 13368

[guy038]

Hello, @coises, @don-ho, @peterjones and All,

I, personally, very much like the solution proposed by @coises which seems quite intuitive !

But, these specific arrows should not be very easy to display ?!

Best Regards,

guy038

Of course :

• The Copy Find to Replace option needs a non-empty Find field

• The Exchange option needs non-empty Find and Replace fields

• The Copy Replace to Find option needs a non-empty Replace field

Ah… I think that these actions should be possible in the Normal search mode only !

[R D]

@donho
There is one bug I posted about:
The word call up function of WordWeb Pro (v10.1) Ctrl & right mouse button works in every app except notepad++.
https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/24258/wordweb-pro-10-1-not-working-in-notepad-8-5?_=1679157389718

[Alan Kilborn]

@R-D said in Notepad++ v8.5.1 Release Candidate:

There is one bug I posted about:
The word call up function of WordWeb Pro (v10.1) Ctrl & right mouse button works in every app except notepad++.

This is not specific to 8.5.1, so leave that discussion out of this thread, as it doesn’t belong here.

[donho]

FYI:
v8.5.1 RC 2 which fixes the Windows 11 Explorer context menu entry “Edit with Notepad++” not removed after uninstallation of Notepad++ issue is available here:
http://download.notepad-plus-plus.org/repository/8.x/8.5.1.RC2/

[donho]

FYI: RC3 is available.

The difference between RC2 and RC3 is:
RC2 use old NppShell.dll for the creation of “Edit with Notepad++” entry for old windows (10, 8 & 7), and it use new NppModernShell.dll for Windows 11.

In RC3, only one NppShell.dll is used for the creation of “Edit with Notepad++” entry for all supported Windows.

For people who have Windows 7 (I have no Windows 7), please test installer and let me know if it works as usual.

Thank you!

[Artur Harison]

@donho

Notepad++ v8.5.1   (64-bit) 
OS Name : Windows 10 Pro (64-bit)
OS Version : 22H2
OS Build : 19045.2728
Current ANSI codepage : 1251

RC3
Open in Notepad++ disappeared from context menu of Windows.

[donho]

@Artur-Harison

Open in Notepad++ disappeared from context menu of Windows.

However, is Edit with Notepad++ installed on Windows 10 explorer context menu by RC3?

[Artur Harison]

@donho
O_o
If you about Flag in installer Context menu Entry, yes.
In RC2 is working.

[rddim]

@donho

RC3 doesn’t add Edit with Notepad++ on Windows 7, even if I restart the explorer.exe (x86 and x64 of Npp).
RC2 work as expexted, no need to restart the explorer.exe.

Both RCs can not uninstall the NppShell.dll. The dll is still available.

UPDATE:

The RC4 witch is not posted here work as expected. The Edit with Notepad++ is available without restarting of explorer.exe and the dll is removed after uninstall (x64).

N++ x86 does not add Edit with Notepad++

Note: The uninstaller does not remove the tabContextMenu_example.xml from %appdata%

[donho]

FYI
The new release will be based on RC2, which is more stable than other candidates are.

Thank you for your testing and report!