Installation help request (preserving older version of Sigil)

[ElMiko]

I have been using Sigil 0.7.2 since... well, since 0.7.2. My workflow, my regex, my keyboard shortcuts, my clips... it's all a decade's worth of muscle memory at this point.

However, a few forum conversations have been haunting me. Specifically, as i understand it, the newer Sigil version allows for lookbehind regex of undefined length (i.e. the use of quantifiers like + and *), which 0.7.2 does not. For the most part I've been able to inelegantly work around this, often with the VERY elegant help of forum members. But... I'm still tempted.

The problem is I'm afeared of screwing up my existing Sigil set-up. Is there a way to upgrade to the newest version while also preserving a functional, unchanged version of 0.7.2 in case I just can't make the Shiny New Sigil work for me?

I'm running Windows 10 (64-bit)...

[DiapDealer]

If lookbehinds of unknown length is the sole reason you're looking to upgrade, I probably wouldn't bother. It's the Python regex module used for plugins that allows for that. Not Sigil's PCRE implementation. At least I think that's still the case.

Maintaining two different versions of Sigil simultaneously on the same machine will likely be more trouble than it's worth for the average user. Best case scenario is you make a backup of your 0.7.2 preferences directory so you can reinstall Sigil and restore your old prefs if you need to go back.

[KevinH]

FWIW, I think uncertain length lookbehind support was recently added in 2023 to PCRE2.

https://github.com/PCRE2Project/pcre2/issues/269

But if that is the only feature you are interested in (ie. all plugins, action lists, epub3 support, multi-language spellcheck, saved search controls, replace all selection from tables, dark and light theme support, and even the upcoming python regex function replace, etc... are really not important to you) then you should probably stay with Sigil 0.7.2, as things have changed significantly. ie. there is no BookView (it is now in a separate app called PageEdit) and the search routines have been changed heavily to keep track of more state information so that a new restart search button is needed, and the ui has expanded considerably.

And I agree with DiapDealer backing up your current Sigil preferences folder would be essential for ever going back to Sigil 0.7.2

[ElMiko]

Thanks, folks. I guess I'll just keep riding this pony til it breaks down!

EDIT: how do i back up the preferences?

[BetterRed]

Click Edit->Preferences->Open Preferences Location (bottom left) - select all and save as an archive somewhere safe.

BR