Preservation of Alt+Z comments?

Robert2 · Post by **Robert2** » 2008 Sep 15, 17:11

Hi,
I have just discovered a problem with “Alt+Z” (attaching comments to files).
If I attach a common comment to a group of files and later make changes to some of them, the comment is lost for the files that have been changed (edited).
If this is by design, I suggest that it would be preferable if the comments were preserved.
Or is there some procedure that I got wrong (again!)?
Cheers,
Robert

Post by **nikos** » 2008 Sep 15, 17:21

i never heard of this before but it is possible that the editor you use somehow destroys the original file. :shock: i just realized that editor2 does that too!!! (notepad doesn't)

Robert2 · Post by **Robert2** » 2008 Sep 15, 17:36

Please, don't tell me I have to use Notepad!

Post by **nikos** » 2008 Sep 15, 17:59

what kind of files are you working with?

Robert2 · Post by **Robert2** » 2008 Sep 15, 19:17

Hi,
I am using a discontinued German shareware editor called Miedit. It is very good for writing pure HTML code (e.g. syntax highlighting and a number of useful GREP functions). But it goes back to the time of Windows 3.1 and 95. No hope of any bug fixes or updates.
I have tested a number of current editors and word processors with HTML and TXT (pure text) files.
Here are a few editors or word processors that do NOT save the xplorer² ALT+Z comments:

602Text (http://www.software602.com)
AbiWord (http://www.abisource.com)
ConText (http://www.contexteditor.org)
MS Wordpad (MS)
Notepad++ (http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net)
Pad (http://www.hds-pad.com)

Now here are a few editors or word processors that DO save the xplorer² ALT+Z comments:

Notepad2 (http://www.flos-freeware.ch)
PSPad (http://www.pspad.com)
TextPad (http://www.textpad.com)
MS Notepad (MS)
MS Word 2007 (MS)
Atlantis Word Processor (http://www.AtlantisWordProcessor.com)

I presume I’ll have to use one of the above for my pure text files.

As far as RTF or DOC files are concerned, I am using Atlantis Word Processor which is as practical as anyone could ever wish. Fast-loading, fast working, no nonsense. A real gem!

Cheers,
Robert

Post by **nikos** » 2008 Sep 16, 09:27

here's a replacement for editor2 (unicode) that is careful with file comments and other streams:
www.zabkat.com/editor2_UC.zip

just replace the executable in program files\zabkat\xplorer2 installation folder

Robert2 · Post by **Robert2** » 2008 Sep 16, 11:25

Hi,
If I open the latest “editor2_UC.exe”, open a file, make no changes to the file, then click “File | Close” (Esc), “editor2_UC.exe” shuts itself down.
If I open the latest “editor2_UC.exe”, open a file, make no changes to the file, then click “File | Exit” (Alt+X), “editor2_UC.exe” shuts itself down.

Is this by design? What if I want to open a different file?
Cheers,
Robert

desslok · Post by **desslok** » 2008 Sep 16, 12:27

nikos,

Thanks for the quick fix.

Robert2

I think so. A lot of programs use Alt+X to exit. I also use Esc often. If you want to open a new file, use Ctrl+N.

sethr · Post by **sethr** » 2008 Sep 16, 17:49

Robert2

Apology for slightly off topic, but have you checked out:

Green Pad (http://www.kmonos.net/lib/gp.en.html)

JuJu Edit (http://www.jujusoft.com/software/edit/)

for your other uses?

If German is your native language these might not work well for you, since neither has many translations

Best,

SethR

Robert2 · Post by **Robert2** » 2008 Sep 16, 18:31

I have settled for “Programmer's Notepad” (http://pnotepad.googlecode.com/files/pn208718.exe) for the time being.

But I’ll have a look at Green Pad and JuJu Edit. Thanks for the tip.

Robert2 · Post by **Robert2** » 2008 Sep 16, 22:04

Hi Sethr,
I have tested GreenPad and JujuEdit. Neither save the Alt+Z comment attached to files.
Also JujuEdit has problems displaying some typographic characters.
I’ll stick with Programmer’s Notepad. It has an overabundance of features for my own limited needs but it is pretty good. It will serve my purpose all right.
Cheers,
Robert

fgagnon · Post by **fgagnon** » 2008 Sep 16, 23:50

Robert2,
Did you notice that nikos posted a new Editor² this morning, such that comments and other streams are now maintained? :)
[ it's v 2.8.0.4 -- See a few posts up. ]

Robert2 · Post by **Robert2** » 2008 Sep 17, 02:54

Hi fgagnon,
I did notice but Editor² lacks a number of features that I need, such as MDI support, syntax highlighting with custom colors, regular expression search & replace, etc.
Thanks anyway.
Cheers,
Robert

Robert2 · Post by **Robert2** » 2008 Sep 17, 04:43

P.S. I must have bungled my tests. It turns out Programmer’s Notepad is not saving file comments.
I’ll use Notepad2 instead, which does save comments (http://www.flos-freeware.ch).

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Preservation of Alt+Z comments?

Preservation of Alt+Z comments?

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