Slickedit tagging engine broken on win10 ?

[bosmama]

Hey All,

I've got a strange issue with slickedit v22.0.0.9 (64-bit), used for C++ development.

I've recently migrated from win7 to win10. On doing so I've copied up my slickedit folder (I run vs.exe with the -sc <folder> option) across. When I start up slickedit it feels like something is failing on startup of the app - it's currently a glorified notepad. Tagging doesn't work. When i place the cursor within a function instead of showing me the current context (i.e. which function I am in) it just says "no current context". If I try to select lines from current code block, I get a popup with the error "Tagging not supported for files of this extension. Make sure support module is loaded".

If I start vs.exe pointing at a newly created directory (so it behaves as if it's a new install), it does the same thing. Anyone seen anything like this? Any ideas on how to debug what's gone wrong?

Cheers!

[Dennis]

Is the C++ file you are trying to edit an extension-less header?  What file extension does it have?

If you go to the Document Menu, what mode does it show - Select Mode (<Current Mode>) and <Current Mode> Options...

[bosmama]

I've tried with a simple hello world as:
main.c
main.cpp

Document -> selectMode is set to C/C++.

So as far as I can tell, all should be in order.

[Dennis]

What shows up in the Defs tool window?  How about a screen shot?

It is possible that your installation has been corrupted.  Did you try un-installing and re-installing SlickEdit?  Do you have enough disk space?

[bosmama]

Thanks for suggestions thus far - See screenshot.
No defs, no preview of where int i was defined, and no current context.
Machine is a brand new install of win 10, loads of hdd space etc. I've reinstalled multiple times - no difference.
This is a corporate machine/install, and as such I am not an admin. Any special permissions required by the app?

[Dennis]

Strange.  What anti-virus software is installed on your machine?

Also try this:  From the SlickEdit command line, type the command:

    cparse-version

And the command:

    tagsdb-version

Then, with that same main.cpp file open, type this command, which should print information to the SlickEdit debug window:

    tag_dump_context

It shouldn't make any difference, but you could also try the SlickEdit 23.0.2 trial, or the 24.0.0 beta version, and see if that makes any difference.

[Graeme]

If I start vs.exe pointing at a newly created directory (so it behaves as if it's a new install), it does the same thing. Anyone seen anything like this? Any ideas on how to debug what's gone wrong?

Do you mean you have -sc "some-new-empty-folder" ?  Maybe add +new option as well.
When you start it, does it ask you to do some quick configuration?

Have you checked "help about" to see if it's running from where you expect and the config folder is correct.

If you type this on the command line
fp push-tag
does it take you to pushtag.e ?

[Clark]

Please post your Help>About information

[bosmama]

Anti-virus installed is Symantec Endpoint Protection: Version 14.2

cparse-version and tagsdb-version: Returns the string "Version 22.0.0.9 copyright (c) 1993-2007 SlickEdit Inc." with cparse.dll and tagsdb.dll prepended respectively.

tag_dump_context: Am not sure if I am missing the debug window you're talking about, but from what I can tell this does absolutely nothing. It returns the cursor/active window back to main.cpp and there is no output in any window I can find in vs.

Potentially doable. Will try to get the latest slickedit installed but as I'm not an admin will need to speak/get assistance from our infra support team.

"Do you mean you have -sc "some-new-empty-folder" ?  Maybe add +new option as well.
When you start it, does it ask you to do some quick configuration?"

Yes, I run using -sc pointing at a new folder. When it starts it goes through the quick start configuration - the same one you would access if you went to Tools->Quick Start Configuration. I've tried setting up no C/C++ compiler, tried again with a very very old Mingw folder for gcc 3.4.5, again with the include dirs (taken from a linux box just for tagging gcc) for gcc 4.8.0, and then out of desperation installed an old visual studio for vs to detect. None of the above made any difference. Also, each of the above tests were done with a new -sc <new folder> in an attempt to start fresh.

Help-About confirms the "Configuration Directory" set to my chosen -sc location.

fp push-tag: Yes, takes me to pushtag.e just fine.

[Graeme]

Maybe check the symantec quarantine - and add an exclusion for the slickedit program files folder and your configuration folder.  Also have a look at the log files in your configuration/logs folder.  Does slickedit have write permissions into your configuration folder?  You could try running slickedit as admin.

FWIW - "Carbon black" security software caused me a problem recently  - it stopped Skype from running, so like you say, maybe slick is failing to load a dll at startup or something.

[bosmama]

Progress!

Thanks Graeme - should have tried that sooner. So it's not symantec, but gaining admin rights to the machine and running vs.exe as administrator sorts it out.

It's definitely not my configuration folder. Also, a sys admin gave me write access (temporarily) to c:\program files\Slickedit Pro...>. I can see it wants to write data there, so that needs to be done, but doesn't fix it. As soon as you run it as a normal user and not administrator it stops working again. Now to find what permissions it wants and where....

[rowbearto]

bosmama: If you copy everything in the "SlickEdit Pro" folder out of "Program Files" and into a directory where you can read and write as a user then you do not have to be admin.

SlickEdit can run from any directory, doesn't need to be in "Program Files".

[bosmama]

Rowbearto : That was a great idea (thanks!), and funnily enough one that I tried yesterday.... but it didn't work :-(  Am baffled as to what permissions/entitlements slickedit wants but does not have. Slickedit help have escalated to dev, am waiting to hear back.

[Dennis]

If you have admin rights to run SlickEdit as admin as you mentioned earlier, you should also be able to do a clean installation of SlickEdit.  You may need to right click on the installer and select "Run as Administrator"

[Dennis]

Is you system running AppLocker ?  (Your sys admin should know).  It could be blocking SlickEdit from loading essential DLLs.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/windows-defender-application-control/applocker/applocker-overview