Is there a way to make NppExec run another script in the same console instance?

Question

I'm trying to make a script that will compile C++ code using cl. Currently, I have to run vcvarsall.bat every time I run the script, because running another script seems to totally reset the NppExec console. That wastes time re-initializing the environment on every compile, which is kind of annoying. I'd like to run vcvarsall.bat once when Notepad++ starts up, and then have a separate script to actually compile, which assumes that's already been done.

So, is there a way to make a script that will run in the existing instance of the NppExec console, rather than starting a new one and resetting everything?

I've tried searching for this problem, but I couldn't find anything, or maybe I just couldn't find the right way to phrase the question. I've tried doing it using "call" on the .bat files in scripts, but it seems like NppExec doesn't understand that.

Answer 1

You may use a copy of NppExec.dll to have an additional NppExec's Console that will be dedicated to running the VC's command-line tools. You may name it e.g. NppExecVC.dll as described here: https://htmlpreview.github.io/?https://raw.githubusercontent.com/d0vgan/nppexec/develop/NppExec/doc/NppExec/NppExec_Manual/2.4.html

Note: in today's Notepad++, you need to make a copy of the entire folder "plugins\NppExec", giving that copy a name of e.g. "plugins\NppExecVC", and then rename "plugins\NppExecVC\NppExec.dll" to "plugins\NppExecVC\NppExecVC.dll" to match the .dll name with the folder name.

Then you may create a start-up script for that instance of NppExecVC.dll. The start-up script may be e.g.

set local @exit_cmd = exit  // sends "exit" when NppExec's Console is closed
cmd /K "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvarsall.bat" x86

To read more on NppExec's start-up script, refer to https://htmlpreview.github.io/?https://raw.githubusercontent.com/d0vgan/nppexec/develop/NppExec/doc/NppExec/NppExec_Manual/4.2.html

Then, while the VS Developer Command Prompt is running in NppExec's Console, you'll be able to e.g. compile the current file via the following command in NppExec's Console:

cd /D "$(CURRENT_DIRECTORY)" && cl "$(FILE_NAME)"