Forums Technical Discussion is it possible to have 2 different text editors?

is it possible to have 2 different text editors?

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indigosm
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for example i use:
- sublimeText for vex
- pycharm for py

but as far as i can tell, it's not possible to have houdini work with both apps. best i can do is close houdini / edit the houdini.env file and swap these two lines to switch which editor to use and that's not great. I have to use different apps because I've gotten vex autocomplete working in sublimeText and houdini python autocomplete working in pycharm... (plus pycharm is good at py but not vex and i have py macros in pycharm but not sublimeText and vice versa, so there's a number of reasons why i wouldn't want to just use one app even if i could get the sublimeText hou py autocomplete working.. )

EDITOR = "C:/Program Files/Sublime Text 3/sublime_text.exe"
EDITOR = "C:/Program Files/JetBrains/PyCharm Community Edition 2021.1.1/bin/pycharm64.exe"
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SWest
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It took near an hour to do this, and it works on my system.
You will need to set the labels and the paths in the code directly.
If you place it in the shelf you can add a keyboard hotkey.
It is free for the community and there is room for improvement.

import os

# license: 
# free for the Houdini community

# authors
# SWest (2023)

# internal
ext_editors_dict={}

# please set the paths to all your preferred external apps here
# copy paste the line and edit
ext_dict = {}
ext_dict['KDevelop']='/usr/bin/kdevelop'
ext_dict['PyCharm']='/opt/pycharm/pycharm-community-2022.2.2/bin/pycharm.sh'
ext_dict['Notepad']='/not/installed/just_for_demo.sh'

# make labels
labels_list = []
for k in ext_dict.keys():
    labels_list.append(k)


# get user choice
user_choice_num = hou.ui.displayMessage("Please choose your weapon.", buttons=(labels_list))
user_choice_key = labels_list[user_choice_num]
user_choice_path = ext_dict[user_choice_key]

# internal
path_to_home_houdini = hou.homeHoudiniDirectory()
tgt_file="ExternalEditor.cfg"
tgt_path = os.path.join(path_to_home_houdini, tgt_file)

# write that thing
with open(tgt_path, 'w') as it:
    it.write(user_choice_path)
    
# troubleshooting
# make sure this user has write permission to the "tgt_file" (should be so)
# make sure your paths are correct and exact
Interested in character concepts, modeling, rigging, and animation. Related tool dev with Py and VEX.
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indigosm
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that's crazy. so i can and can't get it to work because it appears there's a number of different 'edit in external editor' commands that aren't the same.

your script :
- works : in vex, rightClick->expressions->edit in external editor
- fails : in vex, alt-e hotkey (and normally alt-e does nothing, but i just today got that working by enabling toolbar->preferences->scripting->edit strings and expressions with external editor) <uses notepad, not the app in ExternalEditor.cfg>
- fails : in HDA properties window->interactive tab->edit text with an external editor button <uses notepad, not the app in ExternalEditor.cfg>

also, i had to comment out my command in the houdini.env file (EDITOR = "C:/Program Files/Sublime Text 3/sublime_text.exe") or i -think- all 3 of those edit in external editors would use this exe and not the one you're defining in ExternalEditor.cfg

so it sounds like this is the kind of thing that needs to be cleaned up on sideFX's end because there's too many contradictions. i haven't even mentioned how in just the env file alone, there's TWO ways to define your external text editor?! So it sounds like there's THREE ways to define your external text editor and all conflict in various ways :

1) houdini.env EDITOR = ...
2) houdini.env VISUAL = ...
3) ExternalEditor.cfg

and if any of these fail, it uses notepad.....
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SWest
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Hi,

actually I was expecting something like that on your end.

Being able to define things in different places is not very unusual.

This idea, to access something multiple ways. is typical for the entire Windows OS.

In my system I think this seem to be set (by me) only in one place.

However, there is room for improvement in the code because it is a hack.

I’d expect a thank you because this I did not need. Ungratefulness simply lead to less community support.

Good luck!

P.S. Alt+e is not external editor in Linux. Your first option is. Your last option I don’t know about. If something really need fixing you can write a short RFE/BUG-report and be happy. This is just the nature of software.
Edited by SWest - 2023年10月10日 02:03:52
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anon_user_95266836
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labels_list = []
for k in ext_dict.keys():
    labels_list.append(k)

Edited by anon_user_95266836 - 2023年10月10日 07:38:59
alexeyvanzhula.gumroad.com
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indigosm
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SWest
Hi,

actually I was expecting something like that on your end.

Being able to define things in different places is not very unusual.

This idea, to access something multiple ways. is typical for the entire Windows OS.

In my system I think this seem to be set (by me) only in one place.

However, there is room for improvement in the code because it is a hack.

I’d expect a thank you because this I did not need. Ungratefulness simply lead to less community support.

Good luck!

P.S. Alt+e is not external editor in Linux. Your first option is. Your last option I don’t know about. If something really need fixing you can write a short RFE/BUG-report and be happy. This is just the nature of software.

sorry i should have phrased it better. when i said that's crazy, i meant that's a great idea you came up with. i wouldn't ever think you could redefine which text editor is used on the fly. it's a shame that this trick doesn't work in all text editor cases and that's outside our control. i was curious if i could try pulling this same trick to rewrite the houdini.env file on the fly because that file does redefine which text editor is used in all usage cases, but sadly that doesn't work either because it's read at app launch and never reloaded. pooo...

so hmmmmm. definitely a tricky problem. the best hack i know of so far is to rewrite the text editor manually in the env file and close/restart the app. pretty bad.
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SWest
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indigosm
that's outside our control

Not convinced about that. The more I dig, the more I find. (I’m refereing to the HOM here which is a hack friendly well organized haystack)

However, I searched the preferences using Python but did not find the ”external” or ”editor” variable. That led me to that file.

Anyway, it seem to work on Linux.

Maybe next step for you is an RFE?

Here’s a proposal: Use the known value for this variable, then search the entire HOM for the variable that has it.

Another proposal: Check if notepad is the default editor for Windows. Maybe Houdini inherits that. If so, maybe this can be overridden as well (i.e hacked).

Also I suggest that you remove as many definitions as possible and try only one place. Getting answers become simpler.
Edited by SWest - 2023年10月10日 11:31:47
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indigosm
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SWest
Here’s a proposal: Use the known value for this variable, then search the entire HOM for the variable that has it.

yeah you could be right. if we already know there's at least 3 ways to choose the text editor, why can't there be a 4th way? hah.
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SWest
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A common problem with the HOM is to find the right variable/parm. So using a reverse search could actually be useful.
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anon_user_95266836
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you can change EDITOR in Houdini on the fly by using hou.putenv method
alexeyvanzhula.gumroad.com
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indigosm
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Alexey_Vanzhula
ge EDITOR in Houdini o
innnnteresting.... it kinda appears you have to set the editor twice using two different ways in order for it work in all cases.

hou.putenv
works : edit interactive portion of hda
works : alt-e in wrangler
works : alt-e in python node
fails : right click in wrangler and choose to edit in external editor
fails : right click in python node and choose to edit in external editor

ExternalEditor.CFG
is the opposite of the ones i just listed. hah

so if you put both, then it will edit the file in the app of your choice in all cases it appears. awesome.



import os

# license: 
# free for the Houdini community

# authors
# SWest / Alexey_Vanzhula (2023)

# internal
ext_editors_dict={}

# please set the paths to all your preferred external apps here
# copy paste the line and edit
ext_dict = {}
#ext_dict['PyCharm']='/opt/pycharm/pycharm-community-2022.2.2/bin/pycharm.sh'
ext_dict['PyCharm']='C:/Program Files/JetBrains/PyCharm Community Edition 2021.1.1/bin/pycharm64.exe'
ext_dict['Sublime']='C:/Program Files/Sublime Text 3/sublime_text.exe'

# make labels
labels_list = []
for k in ext_dict.keys():
    labels_list.append(k)


# get user choice
user_choice_num = hou.ui.displayMessage("Please choose your weapon.", buttons=(labels_list))
user_choice_key = labels_list[user_choice_num]
user_choice_path = ext_dict[user_choice_key]

# set editor 1 for alt-e / HDA script edit
hou.putenv("EDITOR",user_choice_path)

# set editor 2 for right click edit in external editor
path_to_home_houdini = hou.homeHoudiniDirectory()
tgt_file="ExternalEditor.cfg"
tgt_path = os.path.join(path_to_home_houdini, tgt_file)

# write that thing
with open(tgt_path, 'w') as it:
    it.write(user_choice_path)
    
# troubleshooting
# make sure this user has write permission to the "tgt_file" (should be so)
# make sure your paths are correct and exact
Edited by indigosm - 2023年10月10日 12:02:33
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anon_user_95266836
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Just a simplified script:

EDITORS = {
    
'PyCharm' : 'C:/Program Files/JetBrains/PyCharm Community Edition 2021.1.1/bin/pycharm64.exe',
'Sublime' : 'C:/Program Files/Sublime Text 3/sublime_text.exe'

}

editor_id = hou.ui.displayMessage("Please choose your weapon.", buttons=tuple(EDITORS.keys()))
editor_path = tuple(EDITORS.values())[editor_id]

# set editor 1 for alt-e / HDA script edit
hou.putenv("EDITOR", editor_path)

# set editor 2 for right click edit in external editor
with open(hou.homeHoudiniDirectory() + "/ExternalEditor.cfg", 'w') as f:
    f.write(editor_path)
Edited by anon_user_95266836 - 2023年10月10日 13:02:50
alexeyvanzhula.gumroad.com
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SWest
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On Linux this line will also be required for hotkey alt+E to work as expected. 

    hou.putenv('VISUAL',user_choice_path)
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jomaro
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Alexey_Vanzhula
Just a simplified script:

EDITORS = {
    
'PyCharm' : 'C:/Program Files/JetBrains/PyCharm Community Edition 2021.1.1/bin/pycharm64.exe',
'Sublime' : 'C:/Program Files/Sublime Text 3/sublime_text.exe'

}

editor_id = hou.ui.displayMessage("Please choose your weapon.", buttons=tuple(EDITORS.keys()))
editor_path = tuple(EDITORS.values())[editor_id]

# set editor 1 for alt-e / HDA script edit
hou.putenv("EDITOR", editor_path)

# set editor 2 for right click edit in external editor
with open(hou.homeHoudiniDirectory() + "/ExternalEditor.cfg", 'w') as f:
    f.write(editor_path)

Sorry where do you put this script?
In ExternalEditor.cfg??
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indigosm
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jomaro
Sorry where do you put this script?
In ExternalEditor.cfg??

1 - on shelf, create new tool
2 - right click on tool and edit
3 - paste the script into the script tab of the tool and edit your script editor exe paths
4 - run script to choose your scripting app

5 - now send the text to the external editor. there's a couple of ways for different windows so i'll list 'em all :
5a - in vex editor \ python editor, right click on empty space and choose expression->edit in external editor
5b - in vex editor \ python editor, press alt-e hotkey (might have to enable it in preferences->scripting->edit strings and expressions using external editor)
5c - in HDA properties window's interactive tab, click on the 'edit text with an external editor' button

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