How can I pass a search term to Notepad++ via command?

[Native2904]

Hello,
I wanted to ask if it’s possible to pass a value to Notepad++ that is then immediately searched for and highlighted in the file being opened.

Something like this:

notepad++.exe "%1" -(search) "term"

Is there a command, parameter, or plugin that allows this to be automated?

Thank you in advance for your help!

[PeterJones]

@Native2904 ,

Notepad++ doesn’t natively have a command-line-based search syntax. Sorry.

It has come up a few times before, like “How to start a search automatically” and “Find in Files from command line” (warning: toward the end of both of those, the discussion devolves because of a new direction someone took the conversation; focus on the earlier portions of those discussions).

Using a script in the PythonScript plugin to process the -pluginMessage could be used for such a thing. But I don’t know that anyone’s implemented it. It never made it to a full script in those previous discussions, because @alankilborn offered, but the OP actually made a VB.net script for it in this post, so @alankilborn never published a PythonScript solution. Unfortunately, he’s not around as much anymore, but if he didn’t already write it, he’s not likely to.

I don’t know of any plugins that have implemented a start-search-from--pluginMessage: it might make sense for the custom-search gurus – I was about to suggest @coises’s Columns++ … but as I was typing this reply, he posted about a new Search++, which is probably a better place for it: he might be willing to add -pluginMessage processing to trigger a search from the command-line.

(If @Coises doesn’t seem interested, I might be willing to try to convert the VB.net script into a PythonScript solution… But some users have found it hard to get PythonScript solutions working, despite our FAQ which is supposed to help.)

[Coises]

@PeterJones said in How can I pass a search term to Notepad++ via command?:

I don’t know of any plugins that have implemented a start-search-from–pluginMessage: it might make sense for the custom-search gurus – I was about to suggest @coises’s Columns++ … but as I was typing this reply, he posted about a new Search++, which is probably a better place for it: he might be willing to add -pluginMessage processing to trigger a search from the command-line.

(If @Coises doesn’t seem interested, I might be willing to try to convert the VB.net script into a PythonScript solution… But some users have found it hard to get PythonScript solutions working, despite our FAQ which is supposed to help.)

Offhand, it seems like it would make sense. However, my new plugin still has a lot of work to be done to refine its basic features and add major missing ones. This is a good idea; I’m just not likely to get to it anytime soon.

[PeterJones]

@PeterJones said in How can I pass a search term to Notepad++ via command?:

I might be willing to try to convert the VB.net script into a PythonScript solution

Here’s my first stab.

Instructions:

{these assume a normal installation of Notepad++, using %AppData%\Notepad++ for user configuration}

See PythonScript FAQ

• Create %AppData%\Notepad++\plugins\PythonScript\scripts\commandlineSearch27482.py, from the contents below
• Check for menu entry Plugins > Python Script > Scripts > startup (User)
  • if it is listed, Ctrl+click on it to edit, and add the following to the end:

    import commandlineSearch27482
    

  • if it isn’t listed, create %AppData%\Notepad++\plugins\PythonScript\scripts\user.py from the contents below
  • set Plugins > Python Script > Configuration… to Initialisation: ATSTARTUP
  • exit and restart Notepad++

After doing that, the script should look for
notepad++ -pluginMessage="PythonScriptCommandlineSearch=term", and run a search for term

For example,

notepad++ -pluginMessage="PythonScriptCommandlineSearch=BM_CLICK"

was able to find BM_CLICK instance when commandlineSearch27482.py is in the editor, so I think it works, (it worked whether N++ was already running, or whether this call was the first launch)

Caveat: For now, it won’t work with semicolon ; or double-quote " in the search term; if that is needed, I would need to add an escape sequence processing, which would make it more complicated. But as it is, it should handle >90% of desired standard searches…

commandlineSearch27482.py:

# encoding=utf-8
"""in response to https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/27472/ 
(fixed URL)

process -pluginMessage="PythonScriptCommandlineSearch=term"

`term` must be a normal search term, not a regular expression; it currently cannot include semicolons `;` or double-quotes `"`
"""
#####   -------
#####   Instructions:
#####
#####   {these assume a normal installation of Notepad++, using %AppData%\Notepad++ for user configuration}
#####
#####   See [PythonScript FAQ](https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/23039/faq-how-to-install-and-run-a-script-in-pythonscript)
#####
#####   - Create `%AppData%\Notepad++\plugins\PythonScript\scripts\commandlineSearch27482.py`, from the contents below
#####   - Check for menu entry **Plugins > Python Script > Scripts > startup (User)**
#####       - if it is listed, `Ctrl+click` on it to edit, and add the following to the end:
#####       - if it isn't listed, create `%AppData%\Notepad++\plugins\PythonScript\scripts\user.py` from the contents below
#####       - set **Plugins > Python Script > Configuration...** to **Initialisation: `ATSTARTUP`**
#####       - exit and restart Notepad++
#####
#####   After doing that, the script should look for
#####   `notepad++ -pluginMessage="PythonScriptCommandlineSearch=term"`, and run a search for `term`
#####
#####   For now, it won't work with semicolon `;` or double-quote `"` in the search term;
#####       if that is needed, I would need to add an escape sequence processing, which would make it more complicated.
#####   -------


from Npp import notepad, console, NOTIFICATION, MENUCOMMAND
import ctypes
import sys
import re

import ctypes
from ctypes.wintypes import HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM, HMODULE, LPCWSTR, LPCSTR, LPVOID

def usePluginMessageString27482(s):
    m = re.search(r'PythonScriptCommandlineSearch=([^;"]+)', s)
    t = m.group(1)

    # Define the functions and constants needed
    FindWindow = ctypes.windll.user32.FindWindowW
    FindWindow.argtypes = [LPCWSTR, LPCWSTR]
    FindWindow.restype  = HWND

    FindWindowEx = ctypes.windll.user32.FindWindowExW
    FindWindowEx.argtypes = [HWND, HWND, LPCWSTR, LPCWSTR]
    FindWindowEx.restype  = HWND

    SendMessage = ctypes.windll.user32.SendMessageW
    SendMessage.argtypes = [HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM]
    SendMessage.restype  = LPARAM

    SendMessageStr = ctypes.windll.user32.SendMessageW
    SendMessageStr.argtypes = [HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPCWSTR]
    SendMessageStr.restype  = LPARAM

    SendDlgItemMessage = ctypes.windll.user32.SendDlgItemMessageW
    SendDlgItemMessage.argtypes = [HWND, UINT, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM]
    SendDlgItemMessage.restype = LPARAM

    WM_SETTEXT = 0x000C
    BM_CLICK = 0x00F5

    # see https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/59785 for VB.net inspiration
    notepad.menuCommand(MENUCOMMAND.SEARCH_FIND)
    hFindWnd = FindWindow("#32770", "Find")
    hComboBx = FindWindowEx(hFindWnd, 0, "ComboBox", None) if hFindWnd else 0
    hFindStr = FindWindowEx(hComboBx, 0, "Edit", None) if hComboBx else 0
    SendMessageStr(hFindStr, WM_SETTEXT, 0, t)

    # set search mode:
    hNormBtn = FindWindowEx(hFindWnd, 0, "Button", "&Normal")
    if hNormBtn:
        SendMessageStr(hNormBtn, BM_CLICK, 0, None)

    # start search
    hFindBtn = FindWindowEx(hFindWnd, 0, "Button", "Find Next")
    #console.write(f"FindWindows: FIND={hFindWnd:08X} ComboBox={hComboBx:08X} FindNext:{hFindBtn:08X}\n")
    if hFindBtn:
        SendMessageStr(hFindBtn, BM_CLICK, 0, None)

    # TODO: I'd like to try SendDlgItemMessageW(hFindWnd, ctrlID, BM_CLICK, 0, 0), to avoid having to search for the "Find Next" button
    #   but using the 1625 from search macros, I couldn't get it to change Search Mode, so just manually click the buttons for now

def getStringFromNotification27482(args):
    code = args['code'] if 'code' in args else None
    idFrom = args['idFrom'] if 'idFrom' in args else None
    hwndFrom = args['hwndFrom'] if 'hwndFrom' in args else None
    #console.write(f"notification(code:{code}, idFrom:{idFrom}, hwndFrom:{hwndFrom}) received\n")
    if idFrom is None: return
    s = ctypes.wstring_at(idFrom)
    #console.write(f"\tAdditional Info: str=\"{s}\"\n")
    usePluginMessageString27482(s)

def getStringFromCommandLine27482():
    for token in sys.argv:
        if len(token)>15 and token[0:15]=="-pluginMessage=":
            s = token[15:]
            #console.write(f"TODO: process {token} => \"{s}\"\n")
            usePluginMessageString27482(s)

notepad.callback(getStringFromNotification27482, [NOTIFICATION.CMDLINEPLUGINMSG])
console.write("Registered getStringFromNotification27482 callback for CMDLINEPLUGINMSG\n")
getStringFromCommandLine27482()

startup.py: if you need to create it, use the following

from Npp import *
import sys

console.write("Start of user startup.py\n")

# add scripts folder to the path
#d = notepad.getPluginConfigDir() + r'\PythonScript\Scripts\nppCommunity'
#if not d in sys.path:
#    sys.path.append(d)
# updated to https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/22299/convenience-technique-when-organizing-pythonscripts-into-folders
import os
for (root, dirs, files) in os.walk(notepad.getPluginConfigDir() + r'\PythonScript\scripts', topdown=False):
    if root not in sys.path:
        sys.path.append(root)

import commandlineSearch27482

[Alan Kilborn]

@PeterJones said:

…so @alankilborn never published a PythonScript solution. Unfortunately, he’s not around as much anymore

I’m definitely “around”, but more of a lurker these days. :-)

[PeterJones]

@PeterJones said in How can I pass a search term to Notepad++ via command?:

commandlineSearch27482

just noticed that this is actually topic/27472, not 27482… but I’m not going to change all my comments and variable names at this point. Well, maybe the comment with the URL.