Did a search for this and failed to find any info:
After loving 4.7.3 on Vista for the last three years, I have now installed 5.4 on Windows 7.
At first, the changes made to the Search Results output window and the Tools output window had me a little . . . concerned; but, after successfully figuring out how to manage them--thanks to the excellent default keyboard mappings--in the context of how I like to work, I have come to like the changes very much.
Then, one day, the new style of output windows (i.e., the ones that can be docked, floated, and pinned and that associate with the new Alt+4 and Alt+5 default mappings) . . . literally disappeared.
Why have they disappeared? Where have they gone? How can I get them back?
For example, searching and Shift+F11 now bring up the old-style search-results window, which is a regular text-file window, and it's fine, but. . . .
My only guess is that this disappearing act may be connected somehow to the saving of workspaces, since it occurred just after I saved my first workspace with 5.4.
Perhaps this feature is quietly implemented and when TextPad detects that you like to save workspaces it permanently flags the global "Take it away, since he likes to save workspaces" variable?
Perhaps there is an esoteric hidden command that can be custom-mapped to get the dockable, floatable, and pinnable output windows back?
But yes, saving workspaces is more important than having dockable, floatable, and pinnable output windows, if such a trade-off is necessary. . . .
Dockable, Floatable, and Pinnable Output Windows Gone in 5.4
Moderators: AmigoJack, helios, bbadmin, Bob Hansen, MudGuard
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HerNameWasTextPad
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:25 am
Dockable, Floatable, and Pinnable Output Windows Gone in 5.4
I came in on 4.5 in 2001, moved to 4.7.2 in 2004, moved to 4.7.3 in 2007, moved to 5.4 in 2010, and am excited about 2013. I've said it many times before, and I'll say it many times again: "I love this program."
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HerNameWasTextPad
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:25 am
Well, thank you. That does the trick. I didn't think of looking at the Configure/Preferences/View settings before because I am so accustomed to 4.7.X's not having settings for dockable log windows in that location. . . .
Yes, I, too, am unsure why those settings had changed. I'm positive that I had not unchecked those boxes immediately before the dockable log windows vanished; however, I may have unchecked them several days earlier, immediately after installing 5.4, perhaps misunderstanding what they were for. This would then suggest that TextPad might have given me a few days to try out the new log windows before following through on the change to the preferences? (I have long suspected that TextPad is cleverly implemented to do some innovative things!)
Here's some more potentially useful information: When I reopened for the first time the first workspace that I had saved using 5.4, both the Search Results window and the Tools window automatically opened in the workspace as empty text files. That was the first indication of the disappearance of the dockable log windows. Unexplainable that they should open automatically as empty files in a workspace. . . . But "unexplainable" just means that I don't know why, and it happened only once. (Keep your fingers crossed.)
The incredible degree of the ability to customize toolbars and menus is extraordinary (though it takes a little time to discover how to access all of the power, since the help facility hasn't yet [?] been updated), as is the full access to commands in full-screen mode. The dockable log windows offer more options and easier navigation when searching and looking back and forth. Keyboard mappings behave very well in all modes, and, combined with the new menu access in full-screen mode, give me happy reasons to use even more excellent custom mappings--making navigation downright spectacular. And with the same excellent and solid TextPad style as TextPad 4, TextPad 5 is impressive.
Thumbs up, Helios!
Yes, I, too, am unsure why those settings had changed. I'm positive that I had not unchecked those boxes immediately before the dockable log windows vanished; however, I may have unchecked them several days earlier, immediately after installing 5.4, perhaps misunderstanding what they were for. This would then suggest that TextPad might have given me a few days to try out the new log windows before following through on the change to the preferences? (I have long suspected that TextPad is cleverly implemented to do some innovative things!)
Here's some more potentially useful information: When I reopened for the first time the first workspace that I had saved using 5.4, both the Search Results window and the Tools window automatically opened in the workspace as empty text files. That was the first indication of the disappearance of the dockable log windows. Unexplainable that they should open automatically as empty files in a workspace. . . . But "unexplainable" just means that I don't know why, and it happened only once. (Keep your fingers crossed.)
The incredible degree of the ability to customize toolbars and menus is extraordinary (though it takes a little time to discover how to access all of the power, since the help facility hasn't yet [?] been updated), as is the full access to commands in full-screen mode. The dockable log windows offer more options and easier navigation when searching and looking back and forth. Keyboard mappings behave very well in all modes, and, combined with the new menu access in full-screen mode, give me happy reasons to use even more excellent custom mappings--making navigation downright spectacular. And with the same excellent and solid TextPad style as TextPad 4, TextPad 5 is impressive.
Thumbs up, Helios!
I came in on 4.5 in 2001, moved to 4.7.2 in 2004, moved to 4.7.3 in 2007, moved to 5.4 in 2010, and am excited about 2013. I've said it many times before, and I'll say it many times again: "I love this program."
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HerNameWasTextPad
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:25 am
Guess what happened a second time?
However, this time I was able to determine what else I did a second time, which favorably is beginning to reveal a non-problematic pattern. Perhaps it might be useful to mention this. . . . TextPad appears to be working just fine.
Additionally, something else besides the settings for the Search Results and Tools output windows in Configure/Preferences/View appears to turn off sometimes: On a permanently floating toolbar, I have a tool button, for Visible Spaces, selected (i.e., turned on) even when no file (or workspace) is open, so that when I close TextPad, this turned-on tool button can be saved as such, to the registry. (This way, I never need to go to the trouble of selecting it after launching TextPad and when creating each new document. . . .)
I now suspect that when I make a change to Configure/Preferences/Folders (which is what I did for the second time over the past week), TextPad needs to extensively reset something--which necessarily results in the automatic turning off of the Visible Spaces tool button and, now, the new dockable log windows as well. Both the VS tool button and the dockable log windows were affected this "second time." I found out when I opened a workspace and saw the empty text files. . . . Then, I checked the VS tool button and sure enough it was off, too. I do recall seeing it mysteriously off one other time this past week. . . .
Since I'm now finished setting up my folder structure and making changes to Configure/Preferences/Folders, I suspect that this behavior will no longer rear its head.
I believe that this event has allowed me to simultaneously solve the mystery of the turned-off VS tool button, which I've seen and pondered with every version of TextPad over the years. Once I finish setting everything up, though--everything has a way of settling down very nicely.
However, this time I was able to determine what else I did a second time, which favorably is beginning to reveal a non-problematic pattern. Perhaps it might be useful to mention this. . . . TextPad appears to be working just fine.
Additionally, something else besides the settings for the Search Results and Tools output windows in Configure/Preferences/View appears to turn off sometimes: On a permanently floating toolbar, I have a tool button, for Visible Spaces, selected (i.e., turned on) even when no file (or workspace) is open, so that when I close TextPad, this turned-on tool button can be saved as such, to the registry. (This way, I never need to go to the trouble of selecting it after launching TextPad and when creating each new document. . . .)
I now suspect that when I make a change to Configure/Preferences/Folders (which is what I did for the second time over the past week), TextPad needs to extensively reset something--which necessarily results in the automatic turning off of the Visible Spaces tool button and, now, the new dockable log windows as well. Both the VS tool button and the dockable log windows were affected this "second time." I found out when I opened a workspace and saw the empty text files. . . . Then, I checked the VS tool button and sure enough it was off, too. I do recall seeing it mysteriously off one other time this past week. . . .
Since I'm now finished setting up my folder structure and making changes to Configure/Preferences/Folders, I suspect that this behavior will no longer rear its head.
I believe that this event has allowed me to simultaneously solve the mystery of the turned-off VS tool button, which I've seen and pondered with every version of TextPad over the years. Once I finish setting everything up, though--everything has a way of settling down very nicely.
I came in on 4.5 in 2001, moved to 4.7.2 in 2004, moved to 4.7.3 in 2007, moved to 5.4 in 2010, and am excited about 2013. I've said it many times before, and I'll say it many times again: "I love this program."
Same problem happens here as well (using 5.4.2).
Normally my Tool and Search output windows are minimized at the bottom. But often when starting TP, or switching to another workspace, they've changed to 'normal documents', and their tickboxes in the Preferences window are unticked.
In some cases it's even weirder - like getting two 'Search output' windows minimized. Or one docked at the bottom, and one in a normal window.
Like this:
I'm trying to find a pattern here, but didn't find one.
Normally my Tool and Search output windows are minimized at the bottom. But often when starting TP, or switching to another workspace, they've changed to 'normal documents', and their tickboxes in the Preferences window are unticked.
In some cases it's even weirder - like getting two 'Search output' windows minimized. Or one docked at the bottom, and one in a normal window.
Like this:
I'm trying to find a pattern here, but didn't find one.
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HerNameWasTextPad
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:25 am
Yeah, I have to admit that it happened a third time. . . .
My solution? I have chosen to uncheck "Dockable log windows" altogether.
But get this: I had three instances of TextPad open, namely, two workspaces and one empty instance. After closing the third (empty) instance, I closed the second. After closing the second, I unchecked "Dockable log windows" in the first-opened (workspace) instance and closed that first-opened instance, thinking that I would properly overwrite the registry. When I opened my usual first (workspace) instance, I got ONE dockable log window and one normal tool-output document! The system refused to allow one of the check boxes to stay unchecked. So, I unchecked again and closed TextPad. Opened it again and got the same. Opened the second usual (workspace) instance and got TWO normal documents with both boxes unchecked!
To make a long story short, here's how I finally successfully overwrote the registry, to have permanently unchecked check boxes: I closed the first (workspace) instance FIRST; then, I closed the second (workspace) instance LAST, being absolutely certain to have "Dockable log windows" unchecked.
Haven't had any problems since. The check boxes remain unchecked, after repeated closings and openings of TextPad.
I have new respect for the normal documents.
My solution? I have chosen to uncheck "Dockable log windows" altogether.
But get this: I had three instances of TextPad open, namely, two workspaces and one empty instance. After closing the third (empty) instance, I closed the second. After closing the second, I unchecked "Dockable log windows" in the first-opened (workspace) instance and closed that first-opened instance, thinking that I would properly overwrite the registry. When I opened my usual first (workspace) instance, I got ONE dockable log window and one normal tool-output document! The system refused to allow one of the check boxes to stay unchecked. So, I unchecked again and closed TextPad. Opened it again and got the same. Opened the second usual (workspace) instance and got TWO normal documents with both boxes unchecked!
To make a long story short, here's how I finally successfully overwrote the registry, to have permanently unchecked check boxes: I closed the first (workspace) instance FIRST; then, I closed the second (workspace) instance LAST, being absolutely certain to have "Dockable log windows" unchecked.
Haven't had any problems since. The check boxes remain unchecked, after repeated closings and openings of TextPad.
I have new respect for the normal documents.
I came in on 4.5 in 2001, moved to 4.7.2 in 2004, moved to 4.7.3 in 2007, moved to 5.4 in 2010, and am excited about 2013. I've said it many times before, and I'll say it many times again: "I love this program."