6.9 Release Candidate

[donho]

Hi,

v6.9 contains a new feature Folder as Workspace which is one of most wanted features.
Before its release, I need your help for testing this feature to make sure the stability

Folder as Workspace opens your folder(s) in a panel so you can browse folder(s) and open any file in Notepad++.
Every changement in the folder(s) from outside will be synchronized in the panel.

How to use: Simply drop 1 (or several) folder(s) in Notepad++.

Here is Release Candidate of 6.9 :
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/repository/6.x/6.9.RC/npp.6.9.ReleaseCandidate.zip

Please let me know if you find any critical issue.

[dail]

Thanks for this new feature! After a bit of testing a couple questions/suggestions.

When I do these steps…

1. Add a folder to the “Folder as Workspace” panel. For example C:\my_dir\
2. The files show up fine, and everything works as expected.
3. Manually delete the directory C:\my_dir\
4. The folder still shows in the panel with all the files and subfolders. If you try to open the file you get no indication the file doesn’t exist

I’m not sure what the expected behavior should be (I guess that’s up to you). The folder in the panel could just be automatically removed. However I can see cases that someone adds a folder from a network drive and you’d still want to keep that item in the panel. A better suggestion would be to at least indicate to the user the folder is not available or does not exist. (Maybe grey-out that section of the tree list?)

Also I can see that the name “Folder as Workspace” might cause some confusion since Notepad++ already has “Workspaces” it can use in the project panel. My suggestion would be to modify the project pane to deal with a “Project” instead of a “Workspace” (e.g. Save Project, Open Project, Reload Project) and that this new feature should just be the “Workspace”. Again this is just my two cents and it is ultimately up to you.

Again, thanks for the update!!!

[donho]

@dail said:

The folder in the panel could just be automatically removed.

Agree.

However I can see cases that someone adds a folder from a network drive and you’d still want to keep that item in the panel.
A better suggestion would be to at least indicate to the user the folder is not available or does not exist. (Maybe grey-out that section of the tree list?)

I’m aware of this problem but I have no solution (yet). The thing is when C:\my_dir\ is monitored by system API, there is no notification from system for the change of node “my_dir” (renames or deleted). If you want to be notified for the change of node “my_dir”, you have to monitor C:\ - in this case, you got also all the notifications of other folders under C:\ .

Also I can see that the name “Folder as Workspace” might cause some confusion since Notepad++ already has “Workspaces” it can use in the project panel. My suggestion would be to modify the project pane to deal with a “Project” instead of a “Workspace” (e.g. Save Project, Open Project, Reload Project) and that this new feature should just be the “Workspace”.

Yes, it’s intended, kind of. :)
Project panel can contain several projects, that forms a workspace. However, Project panel may not meet needs of the most of people - Folder as Workspace could be more suitable for them.

Again this is just my two cents

Thank you for your valuable suggestions and thank you for all (very) quality code contributions!

[Claudia Frank]

Hello Don,

when closing folder as workspace window by pressing x in top right corner,
view->folder as workspace still being marked as active/visible

When trying to add a directory e.g. c:\ but c:\windows as already added
we do get an information that a subdirectory has already been added and
you should remove it first -> OK
But when using a junction point it doesn’t report this.
Same with mapped drives.

Let’s say c:\p_link points to c:\python\python27,
add c:\p_link to the workspace
add c:\python ->no warning message

Cheers
Claudia

[donho]

@Claudia-Frank
Thank you for the bug report.

when closing folder as workspace window by pressing x in top right corner, view->folder as workspace still being marked as active/visible

This issue has been fixed and committed:
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/951c51a32afdaf51c3944adcd07900c0536d0d4a

But when using a junction point it doesn’t report this.
Same with mapped drives.

This one is quite tough, I will see what can I do about it.

[David Bailey]

The discussion about this feature made me aware of a related (and to me, much more valuable) feature called workspaces! This makes me wonder how many other features I don’t use because I don’t know they exist. I wonder if there is something like an instruction manual for Notepad++.

I would also like to check that this new version contains a fix to the problem associated with files that change externally to Notepad++, that caused the previous version to be retracted.

David

[donho]

@David-Bailey
Yes, indeed. I’m aware of the lack of document.
I’m doing an online Notepad++ document (gitbook) based on the old document.
https://donho1.gitbooks.io/npp-user-manual/content/

Once I finish it’s structure, I will call the community to join for its maintenance.

[David Bailey]

Thanks Don,

I discovered after I wrote that comment that there are, in fact some scraps of manuals to be found on the internet, but nothing that even comes close to documenting all the NPP features!

Do you intend that the manual at the link you gave will grow with time at that location, or will the new manual appear somewhere else in due course?

Is there a way to add the current file being edited to a workspace. I think that would be quite useful. I also appreciate that the NPP_Workspace file is in a very simple format if it is necessary to create a workspace outside NPP

[guy038]

David and All,

In addition to the future N++ documentation ( gitook ) , proposed by Don, at the address :

https://donho1.gitbooks.io/npp-user-manual/content/

---

Here are, below, TWO links to OLDER documentations :

• Download the English NppHelp.chm file, N++ v6.6.4 ( the latest, that I could find ! ), from the link below.

NOTE :

If, when clicking on the downloaded help file, you get a security warning dialog, just uncheck the option Always ask before opening this file and valid the opening

http://oedoc.free.fr/NppHelp/EN/NppHelp.chm

• Click on the link below ( up to N++ 6.6.6, about ) and, then, click, on the left part ( The side bar ) of that main page, on one of the two N++ ARTICLES,

  • by Title

  • by Topic

http://docs.notepad-plus-plus.org/index.php/Main_Page

---

Best Regards,

guy038

[Artur Harison]

Hi Don
I already wrote about problems copying. Here’s a video.

Video of bug

[donho]

@Artur-Hareson
I can reproduce this bug. I’ll take care of it.

[donho]

@Artur-Hareson
Bug has been fixed and committed:
https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus/commit/96fc4bc71488a2ed2e2f175d28a5a95e3a09642a

Will be in the next version.

[David Bailey]

Thanks for your comment guy038,

However, I hope you agree that none of those documents in their present form come even close to describing the full functionality of NP++!

IMHO, a decent NP++ manual would be by far the most valuable feature that could be added at this point!

[guy038]

Hi David,

Of course, I totally agree to your last post ! That said, who should maintain an updated documentation of N++ ?

It would be quite a huge work for an unique man ( or woman !). And, to my mind, too many people should not be the good solution, too ! I do think that a narrowed team of 4-5 persons ( which would have, each of them, some skills, on a specific domain ), and with Don Ho, as the coordinator, would be the best configuration !

Best Regards,

guy038

[David Bailey]

Guy038,

Could this me set up something like a wiki project - perhaps freezing out sections as soon as they seem satisfactory?

Otherwise, I don’t see the manual ever being done! Think of how much useful material can be found on Wiki!