A feature request (maybe better as a plug-in request, I don't know) that will give an incredible edge to Notepad++:
A long time ago, MS has introduced what they call "Structured Storage", which in essence, are files where the internal structure ressembles a drive structure with files (they call them IStream) and folders (they call them IStorage). This allows softwares to save/read their own file formats with complex data in a tree-like structure (MS Office uses this for example). Very powerful and very useful.
The downside it that these file cannot easily be read for debugging (they can be opened with an hexadecimal editor, for example the Notepad plug-in) but you have a horrible jumble so almost useless. What you wan to do is check that the list of storages(=folders) is the one that you expect, that they are in the right tree structure and check similarly the list and content of the streams(=files).
It would be nice to have an editor that displays the storage(=folder) structure of such a file (a tree view) and the stream(=file structure) and allow each stream's content to be edited individually (as an hexadecimal or text, i.e. using the hex edit plug-in). This way, if your software does handle MS Structured storage, a programmer would be able to debug and check the files he/she generates and check they are OK. Every developer would have a copy of Notepad++ if that feature was present.
As far as I know, the only (commercial) editor that has this feature is FlexEdit and it's rubbish.
David.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
This is typically a plugin job - I wonder why it should be an external functionality of Notepad++, but there is a tetris clone already, so why not after all.
IdeaTorrent is an option too, but the would be developer of the plugin won't be able to promote the idea. When phpBB is running - we've got to start addressing this - there will be more convenient options.
CChris
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
Hi,
A feature request (maybe better as a plug-in request, I don't know) that will give an incredible edge to Notepad++:
A long time ago, MS has introduced what they call "Structured Storage", which in essence, are files where the internal structure ressembles a drive structure with files (they call them IStream) and folders (they call them IStorage). This allows softwares to save/read their own file formats with complex data in a tree-like structure (MS Office uses this for example). Very powerful and very useful.
The downside it that these file cannot easily be read for debugging (they can be opened with an hexadecimal editor, for example the Notepad plug-in) but you have a horrible jumble so almost useless. What you wan to do is check that the list of storages(=folders) is the one that you expect, that they are in the right tree structure and check similarly the list and content of the streams(=files).
It would be nice to have an editor that displays the storage(=folder) structure of such a file (a tree view) and the stream(=file structure) and allow each stream's content to be edited individually (as an hexadecimal or text, i.e. using the hex edit plug-in). This way, if your software does handle MS Structured storage, a programmer would be able to debug and check the files he/she generates and check they are OK. Every developer would have a copy of Notepad++ if that feature was present.
As far as I know, the only (commercial) editor that has this feature is FlexEdit and it's rubbish.
David.
Oops, should be http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/notepad-plus/index.php?title=Need_A_Plugin
CChris
PS: These files are also called OLE Compound files.
See: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa380369\(VS.85).aspx
This is typically a plugin job - I wonder why it should be an external functionality of Notepad++, but there is a tetris clone already, so why not after all.
Currently, I'd post this on the Plugin Development forum, or on http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/notepad-plus/Need_A_Plugin page.
IdeaTorrent is an option too, but the would be developer of the plugin won't be able to promote the idea. When phpBB is running - we've got to start addressing this - there will be more convenient options.
CChris
Chris, I posted a plug-in request in the plug-in forum discussion.
The optional link seems to be broken:
http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/notepad-plus/Need_A_Plugin
David.