W8.1 and PSPad ALT+255 character.

Hi,

I use PSPad for most of my AHK programming for years on W7 32bit. I am using AHK Unicode 32bit v1.1+

I am trying to set up programming testing on a new W8.1 64bit. So I download PSPad 4.5.8 and (also tried 4.5.7)

as well as AHK Unicode 32bit, to the W8.1 64bit Laptop. I also copied some ahk scripts to the 8.1 PC.

The problem is that all the ALT+255 characters in the running ahk script get displayed in the GUI as  Description  - A with ^ over it and a space
following it, as soon as I save the ahk file in PSPad. I have the format set to UTF-8 for both the ahk file and PSPad.

I can run the ahk file with autohotkey Unicode v1.1+, as is, from the new copy OK. It is just when I save the file with PSPad that I get the problem.
The strange character(s) does not show up in the ahk text file itself, just in
the ahk GUI being run.

If I use the keypad (this 8.1 64 has one) and do ALT + 255 in PSPad, I get 7

If I open Notepad and do ALT + 255 I get a blank character OK.

I can make changes to the ahk file using Notepad and save it, and it runs OK.

I am using the latest ahk version 1.1.16.05 Unicode 32bit

Hopefully there is just some setting in PSPad I could use?

Maybe W8.1 makes trouble with ALT+255 characters?

Thanks

There will be more influences.
Use ASCII char to see the 255 char
There is a different charcode in Unicode and ANSI encoding. If you write char with ALT+nnn, if will work in non unicode editors correctly, but not with unicode ones. ALT+nnn you can use for chars up to 127.

Try this:
open ASCII chart
list char with number 255 (small dot)
dbl click on the char and it will insert char on cursor position
move cursor before char and look at status bar. In my case I see 729. It means if you will write ALT+729, it will insert your char.

ALT+255 is char corresponding to 160 in ASCII (non breakable space)

Thanks,

At this point, I am not worried about entering the character.
If I need more of them, I can copy paste them. My problem is
that I have hundreds of them already in the program text files.
I need to be able to make minor "other non related" edits in
these ahk text files, hopefully in PSPad, instead of Notepad.

Again, note that I can edit and save these files in Notepad,
and it works.

Is there any setting in PSPad that could maybe help.

My main programming environment will remain W7 Unicode which
works fine. I just need a W8.1 PSPad that works the same as the
W7 in regards to this character.

I only mentioned the use of the keypad for illustration.
But the fact that I can enter ALT+255 in Notepad OK tells me
something. I copy the ahk files from the W7 PC, and open them
in 8.1 PSPad, and Save them, and the files still work is all I want.
That is not happening now.

Thanks

I noticed with Windows 7 problems with preinstalled Windows. Maybe the problem remains in Windows 8 too. There were problem for non english environment.
Try in control panels / regional settings on the last tab switch environment for nonunicode programs to English, confirm and than switch back to your language.

Can you send me any of your file to support mail?

Hi,

Since my W7 was installed as a second boot option, I thought
you might be on to something. However I tried your idea about
the Control Panel. I went into regions and set (in Administrative)
"regional settings on the last tab switch environment for nonunicode programs to English".

I have English, so I set it to French, and it needed to reboot.
Then I went back in and set it to English and it rebooted again.
Then I tried saving one of my files in PSPad and it still messes up
the invisible character ALT+255.

I have made 2 files for you. One is example Before I save, and one is
example of After I save. Back up the one Before I save so you can try
multiple times. Note you need W8.1 (I am using 64bit) and autohotkey
32 bit Unicode latest build to match my tests.

How can I send these 2 files to you?

Thanks

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-11-10 20:41 by psuser101.

psuser101:

How can I send these 2 files to you?

I guess you have e-mail. Use mail address in PSPad about dialog

Great. That was same address used to verify my new forum account
so I just replied. Feel free to respond by email or this forum.

Many Thanks!

I don't see any difference between files except BOM on the begin.
Your file "before save" is in UTF-8 encoding.
Please ensure, that you have checked option in Program settings / Program 2
[x]Ident. bytes in UTF-8 encoding

Hooray pspad! Hooray PSPad!

That worked!

Thanks a million for all your work on this.

p.s.
The secret to sending .ahk and probably other files to
you, is to rename them to have no suffix extension,
and specify to recipient to rename the file(s) back
to have the extension, after they download them.

p.p.s.
Could something similar account for why,
In Notepad, ALT + 255 yields a blank invisible character,
and PSPad yields a 7 ?