Erratic behaviour docking the Search Results pane

[shaqmeister]

I'm running TextPad 5.2.0 on Vista and I'm experiencing erratic behaviour in trying to get the Search Results window to 'stay' docked between sessions. I have selected it to be docked using Configure | Preferences | View | Dockable log windows: | Search Results but I'm getting all manner of crazy things happening, including - but not limited to - multiple instances of the search results window, some docked some not.

I currently have the Clip Library docked to the left, the Document Selector to the right, and the Tool Output window docked full-width along the bottom, and I'm trying to get the Search Results window to dock along the bottom with the Tool Output window. In the current view, as I'm looking at it now, it is properly docked and the last config that TextPad read on startup seems to correspond to what I would expect, showing:

Code: Select all

<DockingPane>
   <Summary Panes="11" TopContainer="6" Client="9"/>
   <Pane-1 Type="0" DockingCX="200" DockingCY="120" Title="Explorer\nExplorer" ID="59398" DockingHolder="8" LastHolder="8"/>
   <Pane-2 Type="0" DockingCX="200" DockingCY="120" Title="Document Selector\nDocument Selector" ID="59397" DockingHolder="10" LastHolder="10"/>
   <Pane-3 Type="0" DockingCX="200" DockingCY="120" Title="Clip Library\nClip Library" ID="59396" DockingHolder="8" LastHolder="8"/>
   <Pane-4 Type="0" DockingCX="500" DockingCY="120" Title="Tool Output\nTool Output" ID="32950" DockingHolder="11" LastHolder="11"/>
   <Pane-5 Type="0" DockingCX="500" DockingCY="120" Title="Search Results\nSearch Results" ID="32949" DockingHolder="11" LastHolder="11"/>
   ...
</DockingPane>

However, to repeat the behaviour that has happened on a number of occassions, when I go now to Configure | Preferences | View | Dockable log windows: | Search Results, it shows NOT selected. When I select it, I get a second Search Results docked at the bottom, and when I deselect docking I end up with one docked and one on a document tab.

Setting this back to docked, with the two Search Results at the bottom, if I close TextPad so that the config.xml updates, it indeed shows that there are two of them:

Code: Select all

<DockingPane>
   <Summary Panes="12" TopContainer="7" Client="10"/>
   <Pane-1 Type="0" DockingCX="200" DockingCY="120" Title="Explorer\nExplorer" ID="59398" DockingHolder="9" LastHolder="9"/>
   <Pane-2 Type="0" DockingCX="200" DockingCY="120" Title="Document Selector\nDocument Selector" ID="59397" DockingHolder="11" LastHolder="11"/>
   <Pane-3 Type="0" DockingCX="200" DockingCY="120" Title="Clip Library\nClip Library" ID="59396" DockingHolder="9" LastHolder="9"/>
   <Pane-4 Type="0" DockingCX="500" DockingCY="120" Title="Tool Output\nTool Output" ID="32950" DockingHolder="12" LastHolder="12"/>
   <Pane-5 Type="0" DockingCX="500" DockingCY="120" Title="Search Results\nSearch Results" ID="32949" DockingHolder="12" LastHolder="12"/>
   <Pane-6 Type="0" DockingCX="500" DockingCY="120" Title="Search Results\nSearch Results" ID="32949" DockingHolder="12" LastHolder="12"/>
   ...
</DockingPane>

If I close one of the docked Search Result windows, check that 'docking' is still checked under Configure ... and then close TextPad, the new config still shows two, but the second does not appear on reopening, thus the config and the runtime setup are a little out of step.

Similar behaviour occurs when switching between workspaces, as sometimes the Search Results window just un-docks; on occasion I have had three and more docked Search Results; and on many occasion the state of the setting in the Configuration dialog is out of sync with the actual state of TextPad (until I shut down and reopen).

I have not been able to work out a precise sequence of events that will always generate a predictable inconsistent state, but the inconsistency itself is predictable. For instance, I can have the window docked with the Tool Output, close and open TextPad a few times doing nothing in between, and it WILL become un-docked on the first, or maybe the second attempt.

(Equally, the Tool Output window itself can have problems, as just now when I closed and reopened, and both windows are docked as I would hope, only the Tool Output window is a deep gray, and the text only appears on a white background when I use my mouse to select parts of it, or run a tool. When I close again and re-open - Search Results not docked. Chaos in real time!)

[sosimple]

I am having similar problems with TextPad 5.2.0 on XP-Pro-SP3.

Various states of Multiple docked and undocked Tool Output and Search Results Windows.

And inconsistent response to configuration changes to docking these two windows.

I'll try to look for the config.xml to see if I see similar results but from the symptoms you describe, I'd bet I'll see the same config-file issues.

Also, USUALLY, when I see DOCKED Search results, along with UNDOCKED Search Results window is listed in the Document Selector, there will not be a corresponding Search Result window in the Document Tabbed Window. ... In this case, if I select the Search Result entry in the Document Selector, the Search Result entry becomes Highlighted in the Document Selector, but no document is selected. Then, if I click to CLOSE the erroneous Search Result from the Document Selector (File->Close, or R-Click->close), one of three things will happen:
1) Usually: nothing happens. Nothing is closed but the Search Results window remains listed in the Document Selector.
2) Often: another document which was not selected closes without warning. As far as I can tell it is usually the document listed below the Search Results window in the Document Selector.
3) Rarely: TextPad Locks-Up. Unresponsive ... requires forced close.

If I open up TextPad directly, with no document, and Disable Docking of Search Results and Tool Output then close TextPad (sometimes I have to do this more than once), then everything seems to work OK.

Kevin