Script to auto-update portable Notepad++ version

Alan Kilborn

or feedback you may have

I think this is positive feedback: While I won’t use your script in its entirety, I think I’ll adapt parts of it to automate grabbing a new version of N++ portable; mainly to save the drudge work of click…click…click…

xomx

@PeterJones said in Script to auto-update portable Notepad++ version:

a “destructive” upgrade

There already is the @mpheath handy PythonScript sln, IIRC it does not overwrite that xmls:
https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/95098

patrickdrd

@xomx good, thanks, but isn’t a batch file more convenient? can the OP include the code in his own script?

Laur Florin

@patrickdrd I tried to come with an updated version that can (hopefully) backup the configs before in a temporary folder, perform the upgrade, then restore back the config files.

As always , I recommend caution and extensive testing first in a virtual environment, if someone ever want to use it.

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

:: Define variables
set "json_url=https://api.github.com/repos/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/latest"
set "download_path=%~dp0npp_latest.zip"
set "extract_temp=%~dp0npp_temp"
set "install_path=%~dp0"
set "exe_path=%install_path%notepad++.exe"
set "backup_path=%install_path%config_backup"
set "installed_version="
set "latest_version="

:: Get installed Notepad++ version
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('powershell -Command "(Get-Item '%exe_path%').VersionInfo.ProductVersion"') do (
    set "installed_version=%%i"
)

:: Get latest release version from GitHub
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('powershell -Command "$json = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri '%json_url%' -UseBasicParsing | ConvertFrom-Json; $json.tag_name -replace 'v',''"') do (
    set "latest_version=%%i"
)

:: Check if both versions were retrieved
if "%installed_version%"=="" (
    echo Error: Could not determine installed Notepad++ version.
    pause
    exit /b
)

if "%latest_version%"=="" (
    echo Error: Could not retrieve latest Notepad++ version from GitHub.
    pause
    exit /b
)

:: Display versions
echo Installed Version  : %installed_version%
echo Latest Version     : %latest_version%

:: Compare versions
if "%installed_version%"=="%latest_version%" (
    echo Notepad++ is up to date. No update needed.
    pause
    exit /b
)

echo A new version is available! Updating...

:: Get latest release download URL
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('powershell -Command "$json = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri '%json_url%' -UseBasicParsing | ConvertFrom-Json; $json.assets | Where-Object { $_.name -like 'npp.*.portable.x64.zip' } | Select-Object -ExpandProperty browser_download_url"') do (
    set "download_url=%%i"
)

if "%download_url%"=="" (
    echo Failed to retrieve the latest Notepad++ Portable download URL.
    pause
    exit /b
)

:: Backup important config files
echo Backing up user configurations...
mkdir "%backup_path%" 2>nul
for %%f in (config.xml stylers.xml langs.xml shortcuts.xml contextMenu.xml userDefineLang.xml) do (
    if exist "%install_path%\%%f" copy /Y "%install_path%\%%f" "%backup_path%"
)

:: Download the latest version
echo Downloading latest Notepad++ Portable...
powershell -Command "(New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile('%download_url%', '%download_path%')"

:: Extract to a temporary folder
echo Extracting update...
rmdir /s /q "%extract_temp%" 2>nul
mkdir "%extract_temp%"
powershell -Command "Expand-Archive -Force '%download_path%' '%extract_temp%'"

:: Move extracted files to install directory FIRST
echo Updating Notepad++...
xcopy /E /Y "%extract_temp%\*" "%install_path%\" >nul

:: Restore user configurations AFTER updating
echo Restoring user configurations...
for %%f in (config.xml stylers.xml langs.xml shortcuts.xml contextMenu.xml userDefineLang.xml) do (
    if exist "%backup_path%\%%f" copy /Y "%backup_path%\%%f" "%install_path%\%%f"
)

:: Cleanup
echo Cleaning up...
del "%download_path%"
rmdir /s /q "%extract_temp%"
rmdir /s /q "%backup_path%"

echo Update completed! Notepad++ is now updated to version %latest_version%.
pause

Mainly added the lines to preserve the configs, maybe this will be better a bit. If i missed any files to backup and restore from config, as I don’t know them all exactly, I can try to update this further by excluding the necessary files from updating or overwriting

patrickdrd

@Laur-Florin hmm, I would prefer to skip them like the other script, actually I think they’re only two: config xml and shortcuts.xml,
also an option to skip localisation files (and do copy only English ones) would be great,
thanks!

Laur Florin

@patrickdrd sure! I’ll keep tinkering with it, and if I manage to accomplish this, I’ll post an update

Laur Florin

Hi there. I tried to make some further changes to it. Hopefully it will work alright . However it still needs further work for sure.

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

:: Define variables
set "json_url=https://api.github.com/repos/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/latest"
set "download_path=%~dp0npp_latest.zip"
set "extract_temp=%~dp0npp_temp"
set "install_path=%~dp0"
set "exe_path=%install_path%notepad++.exe"
set "backup_path=%install_path%config_backup"
set "installed_version="
set "latest_version="

:: Get installed Notepad++ version
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('powershell -Command "(Get-Item '%exe_path%').VersionInfo.ProductVersion"') do (
    set "installed_version=%%i"
)

:: Get latest release version from GitHub
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('powershell -Command "$json = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri '%json_url%' -UseBasicParsing | ConvertFrom-Json; $json.tag_name -replace 'v',''"') do (
    set "latest_version=%%i"
)

:: Check if both versions were retrieved
if "%installed_version%"=="" (
    echo Error: Could not determine installed Notepad++ version.
    pause
    exit /b
)

if "%latest_version%"=="" (
    echo Error: Could not retrieve latest Notepad++ version from GitHub.
    pause
    exit /b
)

:: Display versions
echo Installed Version  : %installed_version%
echo Latest Version     : %latest_version%

:: Compare versions
if "%installed_version%"=="%latest_version%" (
    echo Notepad++ is up to date. No update needed.
    pause
    exit /b
)

echo A new version is available! Updating...

:: Get latest release download URL
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('powershell -Command "$json = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri '%json_url%' -UseBasicParsing | ConvertFrom-Json; $json.assets | Where-Object { $_.name -like 'npp.*.portable.x64.zip' } | Select-Object -ExpandProperty browser_download_url"') do (
    set "download_url=%%i"
)

if "%download_url%"=="" (
    echo Failed to retrieve the latest Notepad++ Portable download URL.
    pause
    exit /b
)

:: Backup important config files (except config.xml and shortcuts.xml)
echo Backing up user configurations...
mkdir "%backup_path%" 2>nul
for %%f in (stylers.xml langs.xml contextMenu.xml userDefineLang.xml) do (
    if exist "%install_path%\%%f" copy /Y "%install_path%\%%f" "%backup_path%"
)

:: Download the latest version
echo Downloading latest Notepad++ Portable...
powershell -Command "(New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile('%download_url%', '%download_path%')"

:: Extract to a temporary folder
echo Extracting update...
rmdir /s /q "%extract_temp%" 2>nul
mkdir "%extract_temp%"
powershell -Command "Expand-Archive -Force '%download_path%' '%extract_temp%'"

:: Move extracted files to install directory while EXCLUDING config.xml and shortcuts.xml
echo Updating Notepad++...
robocopy "%extract_temp%" "%install_path%" /E /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS /R:3 /W:2 /XF config.xml shortcuts.xml >nul

:: Restore user configurations (EXCEPT config.xml and shortcuts.xml)
echo Restoring user configurations...
for %%f in (stylers.xml langs.xml contextMenu.xml userDefineLang.xml) do (
    if exist "%backup_path%\%%f" copy /Y "%backup_path%\%%f" "%install_path%\%%f"
)

:: Remove all localization files except English
echo Removing unnecessary localization files...
for %%f in ("%install_path%\localization\*") do (
    if NOT "%%~nxf"=="english.xml" if NOT "%%~nxf"=="nativeLang.xml" del "%%f"
)

:: Cleanup
echo Cleaning up...
del "%download_path%"
rmdir /s /q "%extract_temp%"
rmdir /s /q "%backup_path%"

echo Update completed! Notepad++ is now updated to version %latest_version%.
pause

Hopefully this later iteration can sort all the issues so far. Tried to include an approach to skip the important settings, hotkeys, localizations as well. // edit: after some tests it still has unexpected errors, do not use. Work will still be in progress , hopefully i will find a breakthrough with enough testing in my spare time

patrickdrd

@Laur-Florin said in Script to auto-update portable Notepad++ version:

robocopy “%extract_temp%” “%install_path%” /E /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS /R:3 /W:2 /XF config.xml shortcuts.xml >nul

I like this exclusion command, I think there’s no need for backup folder,
also you could copy from extract_temp/localization only english.xml and skip the rest, so it should be somehow simpler

patrickdrd

here’s my version, I tested and it works,
I’m excluding themes too and I changed working folder(s) to d:\downloads

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

:: Define variables
set "json_url=https://api.github.com/repos/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/releases/latest "
set "download_path=d:\downloads\npp_latest.zip"
set "extract_temp=d:\downloads\npp"
set "install_path=.\"
set "exe_path=%install_path%notepad++.exe"

REM set "download_path=%~dp0npp_latest.zip"
REM set "extract_temp=%~dp0npp_temp"
REM set "install_path=%~dp0"
REM set "exe_path=%install_path%notepad++.exe"
REM set "backup_path=%install_path%config_backup"
set "installed_version="
set "latest_version="

:: Get installed Notepad++ version
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('powershell -Command "(Get-Item '%exe_path%').VersionInfo.ProductVersion"') do (
    set "installed_version=%%i"
)

:: Get latest release version from GitHub
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('powershell -Command "$json = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri '%json_url%' -UseBasicParsing | ConvertFrom-Json; $json.tag_name -replace 'v',''"') do (
    set "latest_version=%%i"
)

:: Check if both versions were retrieved
if "%installed_version%"=="" (
    echo Error: Could not determine installed Notepad++ version.
    pause
    exit /b
)

if "%latest_version%"=="" (
    echo Error: Could not retrieve latest Notepad++ version from GitHub.
    pause
    exit /b
)

:: Display versions
echo Installed Version  : %installed_version%
echo Latest Version     : %latest_version%

:: Compare versions
if "%installed_version%"=="%latest_version%" (
    echo Notepad++ is up to date. No update needed.
    pause
    exit /b
)

echo A new version is available! Updating...

:: Get latest release download URL
for /f "tokens=*" %%i in ('powershell -Command "$json = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri '%json_url%' -UseBasicParsing | ConvertFrom-Json; $json.assets | Where-Object { $_.name -like 'npp.*.portable.x64.zip' } | Select-Object -ExpandProperty browser_download_url"') do (
    set "download_url=%%i"
)

if "%download_url%"=="" (
    echo Failed to retrieve the latest Notepad++ Portable download URL.
    pause
    exit /b
)

REM :: Backup important config files (except config.xml and shortcuts.xml)
REM echo Backing up user configurations...
REM mkdir "%backup_path%" 2>nul
REM for %%f in (stylers.xml langs.xml contextMenu.xml userDefineLang.xml) do (
    REM if exist "%install_path%\%%f" copy /Y "%install_path%\%%f" "%backup_path%"
REM )

:: Download the latest version
echo Downloading latest Notepad++ Portable...
powershell -Command "(New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile('%download_url%', '%download_path%')"

:: Extract to a temporary folder
echo Extracting update...
rmdir /s /q "%extract_temp%" 2>nul
mkdir "%extract_temp%"
powershell -Command "Expand-Archive -Force '%download_path%' '%extract_temp%'"

:: Move extracted files to install directory while EXCLUDING config.xml and shortcuts.xml
echo Updating Notepad++...
robocopy "%extract_temp%" . /e /copy:DAT /dcopy:T /r:0 /xf config.xml shortcuts.xml /XD localization themes /IS /IT
REM xcopy . "D:\downloads\npp2" /c /q /h /r /k /y /e /exclude:"D:\Utilities\PortableApps\Notepad++\xcopy_excludes.txt"
REM robocopy "%extract_temp%" "%install_path%" /E /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS /R:3 /W:2 /XF config.xml shortcuts.xml /XD localization themes >nul
REM pause

REM :: Restore user configurations (EXCEPT config.xml and shortcuts.xml)
REM echo Restoring user configurations...
REM for %%f in (stylers.xml langs.xml contextMenu.xml userDefineLang.xml) do (
    REM if exist "%backup_path%\%%f" copy /Y "%backup_path%\%%f" "%install_path%\%%f"
REM )

REM :: Remove all localization files except English
REM echo Removing unnecessary localization files...
REM for %%f in ("%install_path%\localization\*") do (
    REM if NOT "%%~nxf"=="english.xml" if NOT "%%~nxf"=="nativeLang.xml" del "%%f"
REM )


copy /y "%extract_temp%\localization\english*.xml" ".\localization"
REM pause

:: Cleanup
echo Cleaning up...
del "%download_path%"
rmdir /s /q "%extract_temp%"
REM rmdir /s /q "%backup_path%"
REM pause


echo Update completed! Notepad++ is now updated to version %latest_version%.
pause

Alan Kilborn

@Laur-Florin

Just curious… The batch file makes use of a lot of powershell. Why did you decide to make it a hybrid batch/powershell script instead of going 100% powershell?