Can I open new UE instance via a macro?

marlow · Jul 06, 2007#12007-07-06T17:55+00:00

I'm experimenting with viewing output listings in a 2nd instance of UE. I place a simple 2nd UE instance on another monitor and this has several advantages over the Total Commander lister I normally use.

Can't seem to open the new instance in a macro, maybe this is not possible. Can I use a macro to

1) open a new instance, and
2) configure it for listings: e.g. shut off status line and stuff I don't need for the window.

I realize I have only one ueconfig.ini file and I want the 2nd instance to be different from my default configuration for source code files, hence the need to set a few things each time I open it.

Mofi · Jul 06, 2007#22007-07-06T19:29+00:00

No and yes. You cannot run a second instance from within a macro directly. But you can configure a user tool at Advanced - Tool Configuration which starts a new instance of UltraEdit. Then you can run this tool with the macro command RunTool.

But you must take into consideration, that the macro environment waits until the executed tool has terminated. That would lock your first instance until you close the second instance. A workaround for this problem is to use the Windows START command as I have posted at forum topic "Opening a Tool with a macro and switching back to UE?".

But why do you need a macro to open the second instance just for viewing files without anything you don't need in view mode only?

You can create a copy of your uedit32.ini in the same directory, but with a different name and run uedit32.exe with the parameter /i="full path and name of alternate INI file". Then you make the necessary changes ONCE and that's it. Whenever you call now UltraEdit with this alternate INI customized for viewing files it will look as you have it specified the first time (bars, menus, window position, etc.).

Please note: If you have NOT enabled Configuration - Application Layout - Miscellaneous - Allow multiple instances the method with the alternate INI will not work well with an UltraEdit version prior 13.10. Since UE v13.10 there is the command line parameter /fni (force new instance) which will allow you to open a second instance of UltraEdit with the alternate INI independent of the configuration setting for multiple instances.

For more about command line parameters of UltraEdit see help page Command Line Parameters and for more about using INIs see help page INI File Selection and Advanced Settings.

marlow · Jul 08, 2007#32007-07-08T21:05+00:00

Thanks Mofi. Your suggestion of running the second UE using an alternate, customized uedit32.ini is the best solution to what I want. For some reason I'd not thought of that in this case--though I should have, recalling your posts on how to safely run two versions of UE for testing/comparison. When I ran 2 UE instances from one ini file, I also had the problem of ending up with the wrong saved profile if I closed the wrong one first!

I recently upgraded & use 13.10 so the new /fni makes this easier. Also, I don't recall when it became available, but the option to "open file without temp file or buffer" is what attracted me to using another UE instance for listings--I just open files over 3Mb without a buffer and UE is as snappy as I want!