Ok, so a new Notepad++ release is upon us and, as it has been a week, it appears to be stable. Unlike before when over 1/2 of the standard plugins hadn't been updated for Unicode, it now appears that all the standard plugins except for LightExplorer have been updated, so that's the only thing you lose by switching. Well, that and Windows 9x compatibility, of course.
So, I'm thinking it may be time to switch from ANSI to Unicode for Notepad++ Portable 5.1.2. Any other thoughts?
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go Unicode, Windows 98 hasn't been supported by Microsoft for quite a while now (two and a half years), so I don't see the problem in dropping it. What with Firefox 3 also doing this I think it is fair enough to move on.
Go with Unicode.
"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate
I say use Unicode. Unicode seems to be the way of the future.
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I would choose both. 2 separate versions that the user may choose. Notepad++ Portable 5.1.2 and Notepad++ 5.1.2 Portable (Win 9x) show up in menu. Windows 9x might well still be in use in some developing countries, a place where people might still run on older PC's and OS'es, where access to Internet might be sparse and people might have to share one PC. For this possibility I hope PortableApps.com continues support for these versions as long as the Open Source Software still supports it, even if it's only optional. I hope you understand what I mean.
It's part of the larger issue, which I have now made a post about: On Dropping Windows 95/98/Me Support, ANSI vs Unicode and moving forward.
But we won't go with two different downloads anymore. The most we do is combined with the launcher doing the appropriate launch (WinDirStat and Miranda IM do it). But it's less attractive with Notepad++ due to install size and plugins.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Agreed the complete dropping of Windows 9x is part of a larger discussion, but you did post it in this topic. Install size would increase, but that's why I suggest it to be optional one way or the other. (Like the installer has a check box what versions to install, and then have the launcher do it's thing but gives a warning message when run on a Win 9x and the Win9x version is not installed.
Either way, there's 2 options: offer a 9.x compatibility or not, and if you do want to support the win9x version think of the best way to do it (for example my user select if they want the 9x version or not). If you don't want to support it, well then move forward. If it's just a matter of time investment decide whether it's worth it. If it's only a matter of size, well, make it so people don't NEED to install both versions. (Remember, my installed NotePad++ is around 2.5MB so if this is what we are talking about.... it's peanuts
Maybe this discussion becomes obsolete in a few months when the devs stop supporting the Win9x.
ANSI please. Also can you Please install/package aspell with N++
It requires dictionaries and most are under iffy licenses.
Also Unicode now supports spell checking.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Sorry to sound dumb. But do you mean spell checking is built in (like FireFox) and nothing else is needed?
No, you have to add it. My point was that the spellchecker Notepad++ plugin was updated for Unicode with the new release. Before that, it wasn't even possible with the Unicode Notepad++ to do spell checking.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Tanks muchly
KILL WINDOWS 9x! (or even better kill windows period
)
But we need to go into the future though >_> or at least have 2 separate versions
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