UltraEdit, UltraCompare, UEStudio forums

I hope they will be helpful to others as well.

It took a bit of time to write them, but not as long as it would have to get all my wordfiles the way I wanted them.

My macros only work if the wordfiles are one file per language, and do not work with multi-language wordfiles.

Step by step instruction for UE v15.00 and later with multiple wordfiles in a wordfile directory:

1. Download UE15 Syntax Color Helpers ZIP package from rhapdog referenced on his post on the first page of the topic containing the color schemes created by Nologic. Unpack the files in this archive to a temporary directory.
2. Copy into the address bar of Windows Explorer the directory path %appdata%\IDMComp\UltraEdit and press key RETURN or ENTER to open this folder in Windows Explorer. While no instance of UltraEdit is running, create a copy of uedit32.ini in the same folder.
3. Open the copy of uedit32.ini with UltraEdit and also open the file TangoDark.uecs from the ZIP file.
4. Make the INI file the active file, press Ctrl+F and search for User Color Schemes. If no line with this section name is found, you can simply copy content of TangoDark.uecs to the INI file at top or bottom. If a section [User Color Schemes] already exists, insert only line 2 and 3 from TangoDark.uecs into the INI file below the existing lines of this section and adapt the numbers left the equal sign accordingly.
5. Save the modified copy of the INI file, close both files and close UltraEdit.
6. Back in Windows Explorer delete now uedit32.ini and then rename the modified copy of uedit32.ini to uedit32.ini.
7. Start UltraEdit again, open View - Set Colors, select the scheme Tango Dark or Tango Dark Alt and close the dialog with pressing button OK.

First part is done now for the general color scheme. The second part is for the syntax highlighted files.

1. Open the file TangoDark.uesh from the ZIP archive.
   Note: rhapdog has written some instructions how to apply all the settings, so I'm writting here more or less the same again.
2. Open Macro - Load, browse to the macro file UE Syntax Color Helpers.MAC and open it.
3. In Windows Explorer the directory with all the configuration files should be still displayed. This directory contains a subfolder named wordfiles. Open this subfolder.
4. Drag and drop the (first) wordfile you use into the UltraEdit window to open it.
   Note: Users updated from UE prior v15.00 have to open the single wordfile with multiple languages instead of any wordfile in this directory. See Advanced - Configuration - Editor Display - Syntax Highlighting if a directory or a wordfile is defined.
5. Click on Macro - Play Any/Multiple Times, select the macro Import Colors and without changing anything else press the button OK to execute the macro.
6. You should have now the wordfile with the colors from the file TangoDark.uesh. Save the wordfile (as ASCII/ANSI file with DOS line endings) and close it.
7. Redo the steps 4 to 6 for all other wordfiles you use. You can run for the other wordfiles the macro more quickly now with Macro - Play Again.
8. When finished with updating the color settings in the wordfile(s), restart UltraEdit.

Extra Hint: As rhapdog has written in his instructions his import macro can be used only for wordfiles containing only 1 language and only the wordfile and the file with the color settings should be open when running the macro. Later I have developed a set of (more powerful) macros to manage wordfiles and their settings, see the ultimate macros to manage wordfiles and their color settings. The ZIP file you can download there from the IDM server contains not only the macro file with all the macros, but also the HTML file LanguageSettings.htm with all the details about the color and font style settings in the wordfile and how to use my macros with step by step descriptions.

hwaarl, have you read also my last post, see above. It explains step by step how to apply the Tango Dark color scheme to the INI file as well as to the syntax highlighting wordfiles used by you. And the last link in my post points you to my macro set for managing the color and font style settings in the wordfiles which contain also a detailed description about the various storage formats (including registry) for the color and font style settings of the wordfiles.

Mofi, (or anyone else who can answer this)

Concerning the step listed in your post above, giving full step by step instructions:

7. Start UltraEdit again, open View - Set Colors, select the scheme Tango Dark or Tango Dark Alt and close the dialog with pressing button OK.

Is there a way to edit this directly in the INI file without having to start UltraEdit/UEStudio so that the Tango Dark or Tango Dark Alt (or whatever scheme you want) can be already selected? I wasn't able to find it, and it would be helpful to me.

The reason I ask is this... I was considering writing a standalone utility that could "import/export" color schemes, which would include setting this part of it. Currently, we have to run macros one at a time, and manually edit the INI file, then manually select the scheme in configuration, etc. I would like to write a utility that would "automate" the process completely, where it would alter the INI file AND the appropriate wordfiles (where you can select a single wordfile from a list, multiple wordfiles, or all wordfiles).

It's easy enough to read the INI file and see where the wordfiles are stored, then retrieve that directory for manipulation. I would like to do this on a cross-platform language where color schemes can be shared between UEStudio, UE, and UEx users. Then perhaps people can actually share their color schemes.

The only things holding me back from even starting are:

• The location in the INI file where to state which color scheme is actually used.
• How busy I am during the Christmas holidays (but I can get started after the holidays if I can just get that location and a "how-to" on editing it!)

I played a little with the general color settings this morning to find the information you need.

There is no setting which selects one of the available user color schemes as active color scheme. Instead the colors of a user color scheme are copied to the INI entry holding the colors of the active color scheme when selecting a user color scheme and closing the configuration dialog with button OK. Here are the missing information you need to write your program.

Index table for Colors= in section [Settings] holding the colors of the active color scheme.
First number (even index) can only have the values 0 or 1. 0 is for default color, 1 for custom color. If first number is 0 of a setting pair, second number is also 0. If first number is 1, second number is the BGR value (= blue * 65536 + green * 256 + red). The values are separated by commas.

The default color scheme as customized active color scheme would be: Tango Dark as active color scheme is: Tango Dark Alt as active color scheme is: Index table for a color scheme in section [User Color Schemes]
The values in round brackets are copies. Making these values different to the referenced value has no affect. So make sure that the values of the copies match with the appropriate original value to avoid problems. The values are separated by semicolons.

The default color scheme as customized user color scheme is:

Mofi,

Thank you so much for that research and info. That's exactly what I need to be able to program a solution.

Most difficult part for your external tool is surely to find the INI file.

Either you let the user select it or your tool tries to find the INI file itself. For most users it is difficult to find the INI file because taking only the default location for UltraEdit into account, it is stored in a hidden directory so simply navigating to it is already the first problem.

If you plan that your tool finds the INI file itself, you have to take UE, UES, UEP, UE3 and UEX into account and their search orders for their INI files. An INI file specified on the command line is more or less not possible to find out by your tool.

The environment variables UEINIDIR and UESINIDIR are easy to evaluate.

The location in the program directory (my preferred location) requires that you find out the program directory of the application. For UE and UES you can use the registry key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\uedit32.exe respectively uestudio.exe.

The locations Windows directory (env: WINDIR or SYSTEMROOT) and application data directory via APPDATA environment variable are also no problem.

For UE3, UEP and UEX I can't help because I don't no the default locations.

When you evaluate the INI file first look on Use Registry= in [Settings]. If this setting exists and has the value 1, your tool would need to do the further actions in the registry instead of the INI file.

You make some good points.

Since I've never used the Windows registry, I didn't think about the possible need for checking that. Good point. I'll add that to the "to do list" for this little project.

I've already thought about how to locate the INI file. You will have to select your "product" from a list (UE, UES, UEx, etc.) I will have a button to allow you to "auto detect" the location. If it's not in one of the expected locations, then it will pop up a box telling you that it is unable to locate it, and ask you to browse for it. If someone moved the INI file to a different location, then they should be an advanced enough user to locate the thing with a browse dialog. If not, then they probably have no business trying to use advanced features of UE, and should stick to notepad.

I'll just have to start a new topic and locate people that use UE3, UEP, etc. and see if they can all give me the search order for the INI file, or see if Tech Support is willing to give me the info to develop this tool. Perhaps, if the tool works well and IDM can see it in action, and if color schemes gain popularity, then IDM may begin to consider making it a part of UE in the future if they don't currently consider it. If my tool becomes obsolete because IDM saw the value of it, then I wouldn't feel the effort was wasted. On the contrary, I would feel that the tool exceeded expectations.

If anyone wants to go ahead and give me the "expected" locations of the INI file of UE3 and UEP (I'll assume these won't use the registry), then go ahead and post those locations for me. The program will have to request the installed drive for it. How UE3 and UEP name the ini files would also be helpful.

I'm of the belief that the reason color schemes haven't taken off is because it is a real pain to share. Having to do a macro to get it into the wordfile and then go change the colors for bookmarks, etc. makes it a real pain.

I'm hoping that if we can make it easier, then we'll begin to GET some new color schemes to share. It's worth a shot, even if it falls flat.

Nologic,

You have certainly made some valid points there. Points I wish to incorporate into the utility.

I have decided that, being bad manners to hijack someone else's thread, and being that this utility should be a separate topic than "New Color Scheme (Tango Dark)", I have opened up a new topic.

I will continue discussion on my project at Color Scheme Management Tool

Nologic, you'll have to take a look over there and see if this might fit the bill on cutting down development time for a new theme. I'm hoping it will. It certainly seems like it would to me.