AltShiftMenuFix plugin for Notepad++

Русская версия

AltShiftMenuFix is a small plugin that prevents the Notepad++ menu from being activated accidentally after switching the keyboard layout with Alt+Shift.

Why this happens

Windows uses the release of the Alt key as a signal that an application's menu bar may need keyboard focus. When Left Alt+Shift is also configured as the keyboard-layout shortcut, the same key sequence can both change the layout and generate a keyboard-menu command for Notepad++.

If Alt is released while Shift is still held, Notepad++ may focus its menu bar. The next typed letter is then interpreted as a menu mnemonic and opens a menu instead of being inserted into the document.

What the plugin does

The plugin installs a small message filter on the main Notepad++ window. It discards only the keyboard-menu command produced by releasing Alt with no menu letter while Shift is still held.

It does not change:

• the Windows Alt+Shift layout switch;
• normal standalone Alt menu access;
• Alt+letter menu shortcuts;
• other Notepad++ keyboard shortcuts;
• windows created by other plugins.

No settings files, network connections, telemetry, or background processes are used.

Reproducing the issue without the plugin

This requires Left Alt+Shift to be configured as the Windows input-language shortcut:

1. Focus the Notepad++ editor.
2. Press and hold Left Shift.
3. Press and release Left Alt while Shift remains held.
4. Release Shift and type a letter that is used by the Notepad++ menu.

Without the plugin, the menu may receive focus and open. With the plugin enabled, the letter is inserted into the document normally.

Installation

1. Download AltShiftMenuFix-1.0-x64.zip from the Downloads section below.
2. Close every Notepad++ window.
3. Create %ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins\AltShiftMenuFix if it does not already exist.
4. Extract the single AltShiftMenuFix.dll file into that directory.
5. Start Notepad++.

To uninstall the plugin, close Notepad++ and remove the AltShiftMenuFix plugin directory.

Compatibility

• Windows x64
• Notepad++ x64
• Tested with Notepad++ 8.9.6

Building

Requirements:

• Windows x64;
• CMake 3.21 or newer;
• Visual Studio 2022 Build Tools, or MinGW-w64 with a resource compiler.

Visual Studio:

cmake -S . -B build -A x64
cmake --build build --config Release
ctest --test-dir build -C Release --output-on-failure
cpack --config build/CPackConfig.cmake -C Release -B dist

MinGW-w64 with Ninja:

cmake -S . -B build -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
cmake --build build
ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure

The repository contains only the small Notepad++ ABI surface used by this plugin. It does not compile or ship the unrelated plugintemplate demo or its docking framework.

License

AltShiftMenuFix is distributed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later.

Download