Several problems - TextPad5 (5.0.3)

[WESTERN WOMBAT]

Doesn't work well with shell extensions - the textpad 4 registry settings are still in place (I think they should all have been cleared out), and the ContextMenuHandler settings for Textpad4 are useless (of course they do not work with Textpad5).
eg - Changing the path and the name of the DLL doesn't work (since we don't know the right GUID for calling into shellext32.dll).

There are also a heap of other problems. I'm sure they've been discovered and are documented here.

Best bet: uninstall, go back to v4.7.3

[bbadmin]

There are also a heap of other problems.

Can't fix them, if you don't document them!

The GUID for shellext32.dll is {ABECE8A0-FF84-4efb-82AE-9B3181CE097D}. Please note that Windows keeps the DLL locked, after you've cleared the option to place TextPad on Explorer's context menu, until you reboot your PC.

[WESTERN WOMBAT]

OK - I'll try hacking the registry, changing the GUID and the path. Tomorrow (it's late here in Oz). Thanks for that.

I think being able to use the shell contextmenu is one of the more useful features for a texteditor. And I thought I saw a note about SendTo also having Textpad5 as a target (it doesn't for me) - yes?

I think it's a mistake to allow fiel associations (apart from .txt), unless you also keep a registry key for the changed-from application (which is a less than perfect solution). I would suggest that you remove the feature, in 5.0.4 (or vNext).

I don't like the search pane at the bottom (just my preference - others may like it). It confuses the focus of shortcut keys, amongst other things.

[agnul]

Can't fix them, if you don't document them!

So, here's one

Upgrading from tp4 to tp5 leaves the old settings in the registry (and that's fine), but tp5 copies them over to a new key without fixing the path of syntax definition files. So tp5 opens and complains about not being able to find the syntax files. By the way... is there a "canonical" folder for syntax files? Some of them are under <installdir>\system, some others under <installdir>\samples.

[RBBOT]

I can confirm the problem with the syntax file paths not being updated during an upgrade installation, although some of mine were missing a path and just had a filename, so those carried on working OK.

[whiterabbit]

I must admit I have become lazy and less paranoid in my old age, also because I have grown to trust Textpad to be rock solid.

So I blissfully upgraded and two things happened. First, the installer roasted *ALL* my custom macros. Yes I am to blame for not backing those up recently or before upgrading, but come on...

It also throws errors about my custom syntax files being missing. Luckily they were preserved in the old install directory (THANK GOD). (And again I am to blame for not backing those up recently.)

Guys, while I appreciate the effort to improve your software and update it after two years, please don't tarnish the trust we all had in you to create rock solid software. I literally depend on Textpad everyday for processing massive text files, and hand coding bits.

Cheers, David

[morteda]

So I blissfully upgraded and two things happened. First, the installer roasted *ALL* my custom macros.

I have macros in two locations post op -> (4.7.3 to 5.0.3 I believe)
1: C:\Program Files\TextPad 4\Samples
2: C:\Program Files\TextPad 5\Samples

It's like two of them were imported to the \5 folder and two were not but I can see them all from Configure|Preferences|Macros (in other words the files were not lost and the pointers to realize they are there were not lost; all my previous macro selections remained during the upgrade seamlessly). (running corporate vanilla XP Pro if that matters)

I think I will move them to one location, back them up, and reinit them. This is an easy thing to forget because I believe these have to be stored in one of these two directories. I will probably remove Textpad and reinstall it to keep it clean and less confusing. There's always a chance of funk when you install on top of something else no matter how nerdy developers are. I auto-backup application data and program folders because I forget things like this. Sorry if you lost your data.

Looks like this is the only place your .TPM files could be (or could work from, so if you find them put them in the 5\Samples folder perhaps they'll be available... if they exist on your drive?)

Good luck!

[Bob Hansen]

I believe these have to be stored in one of these two directories.

That is not correct. Macro files can be kept in any location. I usually keep my macros in a shared folder on the network so that all users have access to them.
Location of macro files can be defined in Configure/Preferences/Folders/Macros

Note that other items can also have different storage locations also, like syntax, clip libraries, dictionaries, etc.

[morteda]

Ah didn't know that, apologies. Shared drive is a great idea. I'm going to try to implement that for my co-workers. Thank you for posting that.

[beychae]

For me, Textpad stores macros (and additional syntax files) under the XP user's profile directory, which I thought was the default. On a side note, I generally believe that storing any data you've created in an application's install directory (i.e. under C:\Program Files\xxxx) is asking for trouble...

The upgrade from 4.7 to 5.0.2 moved all my existing files from "C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data" to "C:\Documents and Settings\user\Application Data\Helios\TextPad\5.0", without any problems.