UI Issues: Missing Status Bar (View Switcher) and Non-Functional Shortcuts on Fresh I

Davit · 06-27-2025, 06:55 PM

Hello Sigil Development Team and Community,

I am writing to report a persistent and unusual UI and functionality issue I am experiencing with Sigil on two separate Windows computers. Despite extensive troubleshooting, I have been unable to resolve it.

The Core Problem:
The main issue is that the Status Bar at the bottom of the main window, which contains the Book View (&#128214

/ Code View (</>) switcher, is completely missing. Additionally, all standard keyboard shortcuts to switch between these views or to open the full "Find & Replace" dialog are non-functional.

Environment & Software Version:

Sigil Version: 2.5.2 (latest version)

Operating System: Windows

Computers Tested:

A Microsoft Surface device.

A second, different brand laptop.
The issue is identical on both machines.

Detailed Description of Issues:

Missing Status Bar / View Switcher: The bar at the bottom of the editor window is not visible, making it impossible to switch between Book View and Code View with the mouse.

View > Status Bar Menu Item: Checking or unchecking the "Status Bar" option in the "View" menu has no effect. The bar does not appear.

Non-Functional Keyboard Shortcuts:

F2 (standard view switcher) does not work. On one machine, it attempts to open an external editor (VS Code), but even after disabling this link, it does not revert to switching views. On the other machine, it does nothing.

Ctrl + Alt + B (switch to Book View) and Ctrl + Alt + C (switch to Code View) have no effect.

Ctrl + H (open full Find & Replace dialog) does nothing. The only way to search is via the bottom search bar (Ctrl+F), which does not have the "Regular Expression" option I need.

Troubleshooting Steps Already Taken:

I have performed the following steps on both computers without success:

Complete Reinstallation: I have uninstalled and reinstalled Sigil (version 2.5.2) multiple times. The problem persists even on a fresh install before any settings are changed.

Configuration Reset: The reinstallation was done after attempting to manually clear any remaining configuration files. The issue still returned.

Dependency Check: On one of the machines, I received a VCRUNTIME140_1.dll error. I have since installed the latest official Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64), which resolved the startup error, but the UI issues described above remain.

Hardware Check: The problem occurs with both the built-in keyboard and an external Bluetooth keyboard.

Conclusion:
Given that this issue occurs on two different machines with a fresh installation of the latest version, it seems to be a rare conflict related to my specific Windows environment or hardware configuration, rather than a common Sigil bug. However, the complete failure of both the UI elements and their corresponding keyboard shortcuts makes the software very difficult to use as intended.

I would be very grateful for any insight or suggestions you might have. Is there a way to force the Status Bar to display or reset the keyboard shortcut configuration manually via a settings file?

Thank you for your time and for creating this wonderful software.

Best regards,

Davit

KevinH · 06-27-2025, 08:39 PM

BookView was removed from Sigil a long long time ago. Back before we moved to QtWebEngine. I think in 0.9.14 timeframe. BookView was too error prone to keep and generated horrible html, and the old QtWebkit BookView used became unsupportable and a security nightmare.

Are you by chance confusing BookView with PageEdit? PageEdit brought back pieces of BookView but in a separate but limited application to better control the amount of errors it produced. It can be launched from Sigil.

You seem to be confused about changes in Sigil that are almost 7 years old now.

Perhaps reading the current Sigil User Guide, there is a section on getting and installing PageEdit. Plus addition information on the many changes since then including epub3 support, plugins, multi-language spellcheck, Preview, Inspector, automation, etc.

Give the Sigil Users Guide a try. Learn about plugins like epubcheck (flightcrew is long retired), FolderIn, FolderOut, and other new Sigil features like Checkpoints, and etc.

DiapDealer · 06-27-2025, 08:40 PM

Book View has been gone from Sigil since June of 2019 (v0.9.15). What version were you using before you upgraded to 2.5.2? I fear you're going to experience an uncomfortable learning curve.

Davit · 06-28-2025, 07:00 PM

Thank You Note for the ForumSubject: Re: UI Issues: Missing Status Bar (View Switcher) and Non-Functional Shortcuts...
Hello and thank you so much to both of you for your clear and quick replies.This information is incredibly helpful and clarifies everything perfectly. I was indeed working under the outdated assumption that Book View still existed, and I spent a great deal of time trying to "fix" a problem that wasn't a problem at all.Your explanation about Book View being deprecated and the suggestion to focus on the Code View + Preview workflow (and to look into PageEdit) has completely solved this mystery for me. This has been a very valuable lesson, and I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to guide a new user.
Thanks again for the fantastic support!
Best regards,Davit

06-27-2025, 08:39 PM	#2
KevinH Sigil Developer Posts: 8,764 Karma: 6000000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: many	BookView was removed from Sigil a long long time ago. Back before we moved to QtWebEngine. I think in 0.9.14 timeframe. BookView was too error prone to keep and generated horrible html, and the old QtWebkit BookView used became unsupportable and a security nightmare. Are you by chance confusing BookView with PageEdit? PageEdit brought back pieces of BookView but in a separate but limited application to better control the amount of errors it produced. It can be launched from Sigil. You seem to be confused about changes in Sigil that are almost 7 years old now. Perhaps reading the current Sigil User Guide, there is a section on getting and installing PageEdit. Plus addition information on the many changes since then including epub3 support, plugins, multi-language spellcheck, Preview, Inspector, automation, etc. Give the Sigil Users Guide a try. Learn about plugins like epubcheck (flightcrew is long retired), FolderIn, FolderOut, and other new Sigil features like Checkpoints, and etc. Last edited by KevinH; 06-27-2025 at 08:46 PM.

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06-27-2025, 06:55 PM	#1
Davit Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2025 Device: boox go 10.3''	UI Issues: Missing Status Bar (View Switcher) and Non-Functional Shortcuts on Fresh I Hello Sigil Development Team and Community, I am writing to report a persistent and unusual UI and functionality issue I am experiencing with Sigil on two separate Windows computers. Despite extensive troubleshooting, I have been unable to resolve it. The Core Problem: The main issue is that the Status Bar at the bottom of the main window, which contains the Book View (&#128214 / Code View (</>) switcher, is completely missing. Additionally, all standard keyboard shortcuts to switch between these views or to open the full "Find & Replace" dialog are non-functional. Environment & Software Version: Sigil Version: 2.5.2 (latest version) Operating System: Windows Computers Tested: A Microsoft Surface device. A second, different brand laptop. The issue is identical on both machines. Detailed Description of Issues: Missing Status Bar / View Switcher: The bar at the bottom of the editor window is not visible, making it impossible to switch between Book View and Code View with the mouse. View > Status Bar Menu Item: Checking or unchecking the "Status Bar" option in the "View" menu has no effect. The bar does not appear. Non-Functional Keyboard Shortcuts: F2 (standard view switcher) does not work. On one machine, it attempts to open an external editor (VS Code), but even after disabling this link, it does not revert to switching views. On the other machine, it does nothing. Ctrl + Alt + B (switch to Book View) and Ctrl + Alt + C (switch to Code View) have no effect. Ctrl + H (open full Find & Replace dialog) does nothing. The only way to search is via the bottom search bar (Ctrl+F), which does not have the "Regular Expression" option I need. Troubleshooting Steps Already Taken: I have performed the following steps on both computers without success: Complete Reinstallation: I have uninstalled and reinstalled Sigil (version 2.5.2) multiple times. The problem persists even on a fresh install before any settings are changed. Configuration Reset: The reinstallation was done after attempting to manually clear any remaining configuration files. The issue still returned. Dependency Check: On one of the machines, I received a VCRUNTIME140_1.dll error. I have since installed the latest official Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64), which resolved the startup error, but the UI issues described above remain. Hardware Check: The problem occurs with both the built-in keyboard and an external Bluetooth keyboard. Conclusion: Given that this issue occurs on two different machines with a fresh installation of the latest version, it seems to be a rare conflict related to my specific Windows environment or hardware configuration, rather than a common Sigil bug. However, the complete failure of both the UI elements and their corresponding keyboard shortcuts makes the software very difficult to use as intended. I would be very grateful for any insight or suggestions you might have. Is there a way to force the Status Bar to display or reset the keyboard shortcut configuration manually via a settings file? Thank you for your time and for creating this wonderful software. Best regards, Davit

06-27-2025, 08:40 PM	#3
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,570 Karma: 204127028 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Book View has been gone from Sigil since June of 2019 (v0.9.15). What version were you using before you upgraded to 2.5.2? I fear you're going to experience an uncomfortable learning curve.

06-28-2025, 07:00 PM	#4
Davit Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2025 Device: boox go 10.3''	Thank You Note for the ForumSubject: Re: UI Issues: Missing Status Bar (View Switcher) and Non-Functional Shortcuts... Hello and thank you so much to both of you for your clear and quick replies.This information is incredibly helpful and clarifies everything perfectly. I was indeed working under the outdated assumption that Book View still existed, and I spent a great deal of time trying to "fix" a problem that wasn't a problem at all.Your explanation about Book View being deprecated and the suggestion to focus on the Code View + Preview workflow (and to look into PageEdit) has completely solved this mystery for me. This has been a very valuable lesson, and I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to guide a new user. Thanks again for the fantastic support! Best regards,Davit

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