Folder as Workspace Docking

Hugh Weaver

Hi. Ever since I started using Notepad++ some years ago my Folder as Workspace window has docked at the side of the page, which has always been one of it’s best features I think. After accidentally closing the FaW window and re-opening it the other day, it has now started docking across the top of the window rather than the side. I cannot now get it to dock at the side no matter what I do. It either floats or docks across the top.
Has anyone got any ideas on how to change the docking behaviour so that it docks at the side again?
Thanks
Hugh

Alan Kilborn

@Hugh-Weaver

Get it floating and then click and drag its title bar so that you approach the left edge of the Notepad++ main window. When you get close enough and in the right spot a ghost-rectangle will appear that will show you where it will doc when you let go of the mouse button. Try it!

Hugh Weaver

@Alan-Kilborn Thanks, but that was one of the first things I tried. The only place a ghost rectangle appears is across the top of the page and it will snap into that area. If I move it to the side of the page there is no ghost and it will not snap into anywhere but across the top.

Alan Kilborn

@Hugh-Weaver

Do you already have something docked along the left?
If so it works a bit differently; no ghost rectangle.
Drop the drag when the mouse cursor is over the title bar of whatever is already docked along the left.
Maybe you don’t have this, probably you would have said if you did.

Hugh Weaver

@Hugh-Weaver I was using version 8.4 something and have now upgraded to 8.5.1 but the behaviour is still the same.

Perhaps I should go back a few versions.

Hugh Weaver

@Alan-Kilborn There’s nothing docked at the left of the main page. The default new document extends all the way to the left edge of the main screen.

Lycan Thrope

@Hugh-Weaver ,
@Alan-Kilborn is right. You have to move it to the far left, almost trying to make it go off the left side of the screen…then the ghost frame should show itself, and when it does, you let go of the mouse. There is in these newsgroups, and I should find it, a movie recording of what you’ll see when you do it.
However, there is a text and picture version here.

Hugh Weaver

This post is deleted!

Hugh Weaver

@Lycan-Thrope Thanks for your response, and, as you say, that is what is supposed to happen, and that is the first thing I tried but it doesn’t work. I can move the FaW window around all over the place and the only place that the ghost rectangle appears is at the top of the window.
Interestingly I just tested and also have the same issue with the Project Panels. I clicked on View, Project Panels, Project Panel 1 and it appeared docked to the left. I then dragged it away from the left hand dock to make it float and now the only place it will dock is to the top.

Hugh Weaver

@Hugh-Weaver Actually it applies to every dockable window eg, Document Map etc. That first appeared to the right. After undocking it now will only go back to the top. Very frustrating!

rdipardo

@Hugh-Weaver,

Actually it applies to every dockable window eg, Document Map etc. That first appeared to the right. After undocking it now will only go back to the top. Very frustrating!

The hidden “docking manager” feature saves the position and geometry of docked or floating panels. (Actually, the NPPM_DMMREGASDCKDLG plugin API does, but most of the inbuilt “plugins” like Folder as Workspace call the API with no option to turn it off; see Notepad++::InternalFunction below.)

Find N++'s config.xml file:
- (system-wide installation) %AppData%\Notepad++\config.xml
- (portable) $(Npp_directory)\config.xml

Edit/delete everything under the path /NotepadPlus/GUIConfigs/GUIConfig[@name='DockingManager'], e.g.

<!-- %APPDATA%\Notepad++\config.xml -->
<NotepadPlus>
    <GUIConfigs>
        <!-- . .  . -->
        <GUIConfig name="DockingManager" leftWidth="200" rightWidth="200" topHeight="200" bottomHeight="200">
            <PluginDlg pluginName="Notepad++::InternalFunction" id="0" curr="3" prev="-1" isVisible="yes" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="Notepad++::InternalFunction" id="44084" curr="1" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="Notepad++::InternalFunction" id="44085" curr="0" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="NppMarkdownPanel" id="1" curr="1" prev="-1" isVisible="yes" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="JSMinNPP.dll" id="0" curr="0" prev="-1" isVisible="yes" />
            <PluginDlg pluginName="dbgpPlugin.dll" id="0" curr="3" prev="-1" isVisible="no" />
            <ActiveTabs cont="0" activeTab="0" />
            <ActiveTabs cont="1" activeTab="-1" />
            <ActiveTabs cont="2" activeTab="-1" />
            <ActiveTabs cont="3" activeTab="-1" />
        </GUIConfig>
    </GUIConfigs>
</NotepadPlus>

P.S. the topic of “resetting” floating/docked panels by purging the docking manger’s cached data was discussed in greater detail here: https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/83660

Hugh Weaver

@rdipardo Wow, that worked! Took me a while to understand what I was supposed to do but it works!

Thanks very much

Lycan Thrope

@rdipardo ,
Good info. I don’t see why people have so much trouble with it, when I can do it back and forth. The only thing I couldn’t do, is get it to show the rectangle as I was moving it around in OBS Studio…while recording to show make a video for doing this, but then again, I’m new to that program for trying to show things so…regardless, thanks for the info and help on this

Jim Fortune

@rdipardo This is still happening in 2024, and the solution still works. One note; The entry starting with ‘<GUIConfig name=“DockingManager” …’ and ending with ‘</GUIConfig>’ should all be deleted, not just the lines between them. Thanks for the help. I was tearing out what little hair I have left!