nppexec_techinfo.txt

notepad ++ opensource

 ****************************************************************************
 * NppExec plugin ver. 0.3 for Notepad++ 5.1 (and above)
 * by DV, December 2006 - November 2008
 ****************************************************************************


 ***************************
 *  Technical Information  *
 ***************************
 
 NppExec has advanced "hidden" settings which can be set manually.
 You need to edit NppExec's ini-file: "\Plugins\Config\NppExec.ini".
 
  --------------------------------------------------------------
 |  KEY                             |  DEFAULT VALUE   |  TYPE  |
 |--------------------------------------------------------------|
 |                                  |                  |        |
 |  [Console]                       |                  |        |
 |  ChildProcess_StartupTimeout_ms  |  240             |  int   |
 |  ChildProcess_CycleTimeout_ms    |  120             |  int   |
 |  ChildProcess_ExitTimeout_ms     |  4000            |  int   |
 |  Path_AutoDblQuotes              |  0      (FALSE)  |  BOOL  |
 |  CmdHistory_MaxItems             |  256             |  int   |
 |  Exec_MaxCount                   |  100             |  int   |
 |  RichEdit_MaxTextLength          |  4194304 (4 MB)  |  int   |
 |  CommentDelimiter                |  //              | string |
 |  Visible                         |  0      (FALSE)  |  BOOL  |
 |  ShowHelp                        |  0      (FALSE)  |  BOOL  |
 |  NoEmptyVars                     |  1      (TRUE)   |  BOOL  |
 |  SaveCmdHistory                  |  1      (TRUE)   |  BOOL  |
 |  TextColorNormal                 |  00 00 00        |  HEX   |
 |  TextColorError                  |  A0 10 10        |  HEX   |
 |  TextColorMessage                |  20 80 20        |  HEX   |
 |  BackgroundColor                 |  0               |  HEX   |
 |  Alias_Cmd_NppExec               |  \               | string |
 |                                  |                  |        |
 |  [Options]                       |                  |        |
 |  HotKey                          |  F6              | string |
 |  ToolbarBtn                      |  1               |  int   |
 |  WatchScriptFile                 |  1      (TRUE)   |  BOOL  |
 |  ScriptNppStart                  |         (empty)  | string |
 |  ScriptNppExit                   |         (empty)  | string |
 |                                  |                  |        |
  --------------------------------------------------------------

 The purpose of each key is described below.
 You can add specified keys to [Console] or [Options] section of 
 this ini-file.
 For example, you can modify it in the following way:
 
   [Options]
   HotKey=F6
   ToolbarBtn=1
   WatchScriptFile=1
   ScriptNppStart=
   ScriptNppExit=
   
   [Console]
   Visible=0
   ShowHelp=0
   OEM=1
   CmdHistory=1
   ChildProcess_StartupTimeout_ms=240
   ChildProcess_CycleTimeout_ms=120
   ChildProcess_ExitTimeout_ms=4000
   Path_AutoDblQuotes=0
   CmdHistory_MaxItems=256
   Exec_MaxCount=100
   RichEdit_MaxTextLength=4194304
   CommentDelimiter=//
   NoEmptyVars=1
   SaveCmdHistory=1
   TextColorNormal=00 00 00
   TextColorError=A0 10 10
   TextColorMessage=20 80 20
   BackgroundColor=0
   Alias_Cmd_NppExec=\

 
 ChildProcess_StartupTimeout_ms
 ------------------------------
   This parameter is important when a child console process is created.
   The child process usually can't be created immediately, therefore
   we must give some time to this process to be started.
   Here is a general implementation of this part of code:
   
       if ( CreateProcess( ... , &ProcInfo ) )
       {
           CloseHandle( ProcInfo.hThread );
           WaitForSingleObject( ProcInfo.hProcess, STARTUP_TIMEOUT );
           ...
       }
 
   When the process is started, WaitForSingleObject returns.
   But, if the value of STARTUP_TIMEOUT is too low, WaitForSingleObject 
   may return before the process is started.
   If default value of ChildProcess_StartupTimeout_ms is not enough for
   your PC, you can increase it. IMHO, it can not exceed 400 ms.
   
 
 ChildProcess_CycleTimeout_ms
 ----------------------------
   The only purpose of this parameter is to decrease the CPU usage.
   The bigger value you set, the less CPU usage you get :-)
   Here is an implementation of this part of code in outline:
   
       do {
           // reading from the process'es pipe
           ...
       } while ( WaitForSingleObject( ProcInfo.hProcess, 
                     CYCLE_TIMEOUT ) == WAIT_TIMEOUT );
   
   Don't forget that actually the value of ChildProcess_CycleTimeout_ms
   is a pause between requests to the child console process'es output, 
   so values > 500 ms are not recommened.

 
 ChildProcess_ExitTimeout_ms
 ---------------------------
   This parameter is needed when you are about to exit (quit) a running
   child console process by sending the exit message to it.
   For example, cmd.exe is running, but you want to close the Console
   window or start another NppExec's script. So, you send the exit 
   message - and NppExec waits for the cmd.exe process to be finished. 
   If the child process has been finished before the timeout of
   ChildProcess_ExitTimeout_ms elapsed, NppExec performs the action 
   requested previously - closes its Console window or starts another 
   script.
   Otherwise, if the child process has not been finished during 
   ChildProcess_ExitTimeout_ms (for example, if "dir" has been sent 
   instead of "exit"), then NppExec does not close its Console window
   or does not start another script after the child process will be
   finished at last.

 
 
 Path_AutoDblQuotes
 ------------------
   If you enable this option (set it to 1), then path to executable 
   which contains spaces (for example, "my program 1.exe") will be 
   automatically enclosed in quotes "".
   It is disabled by default because of a bug with executables w/o
   extension. For example, this line
   
     cmd /c calc.exe
   
   will be modified (if this option is enabled) to this one:
   
     "cmd /c calc.exe"
     
   because "cmd" is given without extension ".exe".
   Therefore don't forget to enclose paths with spaces in quotes
   manually, when this option is disabled.
   
 
 CmdHistory_MaxItems
 -------------------
   Specifies maximum number of items in the console commands history.
   
 
 Exec_MaxCount
 -------------
   Specifies maximum number of NPP_EXEC calls within one script.
   This value is needed to prevent the infinite loop of several scripts
   which call each other, e.g.
   
     ::script1
     npp_exec script2
     
     ::script2
     npp_exec script1
   
 
 RichEdit_MaxTextLength  
 ----------------------
   Specifies maximum number of characters which can be stored or 
   pasted into the Console dialog's rich edit control.


 CommentDelimiter
 ----------------
   Specifies a comment delimiter  :-)  I.e. all characters after
   this delimiter are understood as a comment, and the text line
   (command) is truncated at the position of this delimiter.
   Exception: 
   - when the comment delimiter is // then :// is not truncated 
   at the position of // (because :// can be a part of http://).
   Note:
   - if you specify empty comment delimiter i.e.

     CommentDelimiter=

   then you can not use comments in your commands/scripts because
   there is no comment delimiter in this case.

 
 Visible
 -------
   If you enable this option (set it to 1), then the Console window
   will be visible when Notepad++ starts. Otherwise, when this option
   is set to 0 (default value), there will be no Console window opened
   when Notepad++ starts.
 
 
 ShowHelp
 --------
   When this option is enabled (set to 1), the Console window shows
   the Help Info each time Notepad++ starts.
   If this option is disabled (set to 0), the Console window does not
   show the Help Info when Notepad++ starts.
   
 
 NoEmptyVars
 -----------
   When this option is enabled (set to 1), then all unset variables
   such as "$(var)" will be replaced with "" (empty string).
   If this option is disabled (set to 0), then unset variable "$(var)" 
   will not be replaced with empty string i.e. it will remain "$(var)".
 
 
 SaveCmdHistory
 --------------
   When this option is enabled (set to 1) and "Console Commands History"
   is checked, then the console commands history is saved to file
   "npec_cmdhistory.txt" when Notepad++ exits. And the commands history
   is restored from this file when Notepad++ starts.
   If this option is disabled (set to 0), then the console commands
   history is not saved and restored.
 
 
 TextColorNormal
 ---------------
   This option can specify the Console's normal text colour in a form of
   RR GG BB, where RR, GG and BB are HEX values of red, green and blue
   colours.
   Value of "00 00 00" or "000000" means RR = 00, GG = 00 and BB = 00 
   i.e. black colour (because values of red, green and blue = 0x00).
   Value of "FF 00 00" or "FF0000" means RR = FF, GG = 00 and BB = 00 
   i.e. red colour (red = 0xFF, green and blue = 0x00).
   Value of "0" or any other value which does not contain three values of
   relative intensities of red, green and blue colours means "don't use
   this value, use default colour". I.e. you can specify
   
     TextColorNormal=0
     
   or just
   
     TextColorNormal=
     
   to use the default (internal) colour.
   The same approach is used for TextColorError, TextColorMessage and
   BackgroundColor values.
   If you want to have a "console-style" look (i.e. white text on the
   black background), specify the values similar to:
   
     TextColorNormal=C0 C0 C0
     TextColorError=C0 10 10
     TextColorMessage=20 A0 20
     BackgroundColor=00 00 00


 TextColorError
 --------------
   This option can specify the colour of Console's error messages.
   See TextColorNormal for details.
   
 
 TextColorMessage
 ----------------
   This option can specify the colour of Console's internal messages
   (such as  "Process started >>>",  "======== READY ========"  etc.)
   See TextColorNormal for details.
   
 
 BackgroundColor
 ---------------
   Background color of the Console's output window.
   See TextColorNormal for details.
 

 Alias_Cmd_NppExec
 -----------------
   This alias can be used instead of the "NPP_EXEC " command when you 
   want to execute some NppExec's script. The alias consists of one 
   character; only the first character from specified string value is 
   taken. For example,

     Alias_Cmd_NppExec=\!?

   sets the first character '\' as the alias, other characters are
   ignored. With this example, you can type

     \"my script" "param 1" "param 2"

   instead of

     NPP_EXEC "my script" "param 1" "param 2"

   and the script named "my script" will be executed.
   You can also specify an empty value of Alias_Cmd_NppExec:

     Alias_Cmd_NppExec=

   The empty value of Alias_Cmd_NppExec disables the alias i.e. no
   character can be used instead of "NPP_EXEC ".
 
 
 HotKey
 ------
   Specifies the plugin hotkey which calls the "Execute..." dialog.
   Available values are: F1, F2, F3 ... F12.
 
 
 ToolbarBtn
 ----------
   ToolbarBtn = 0  -  no toolbar button;
   ToolbarBtn = 1  -  the toolbar button shows the Console window;
   ToolbarBtn = 2  -  the toolbar button calls the "Execute..." dialog.
   ToolbarBtn = 3  -  the toolbar button directly executes last script.
   
   
 WatchScriptFile
 ---------------
   When this option is enabled (set to 1), the plugin rereads the file
   with saved scripts if its time stamp has been changed. The plugin
   checks the file time stamp when you call the "Execute..." dialog.
   If this option is disabled (set to 0), the plugin does not check
   the file time stamp and does not reread this file.


 ScriptNppStart
 --------------
   You can specify here a name of existing script which you want to be
   executed each time when Notepad++ starts.
   For example, this script can contain declarations of your own variables
   (using SET command), some welcome messages (using ECHO command) or
   whatever command(s) you want.
   Note: if you specify an empty value or non-existent script name for
   this option, no script will be executed when Notepad++ starts.
   See also: ScriptNppExit.
   

 ScriptNppExit
 -------------
   You can specify here a name of existing script which you want to be
   executed each time when Notepad++ exits.
   Note: if you specify an empty value or non-existent script name for
   this option, no script will be executed when Notepad++ exits.
   See also: ScriptNppStart.