v0.1.8 — the Direct2D editor as an opt-in preview

The Direct2D editor, as an opt-in preview. RichEdit is still the default, so this release is behaviourally a no-op unless you tick the box — which is the point of baking it as an opt-in first.

Turning it on

Settings ▸ "Use the Direct2D editor (preview)", then restart. The editor class is chosen once at startup, so the checkbox says so rather than pretending to take effect live. --richedit on the command line always overrides it if something goes wrong.

What the new editor does

• No word wrap, with real horizontal scrolling — code should not reflow. Long lines scroll; they do not wrap.
• Syntax colouring driven by the same lexer the RichEdit path now uses, so the two cannot drift apart.
• Error-line tints after a failed build, painted as decoration rather than as text formatting.
• A real system caret, so Narrator, Magnifier's "follow the text cursor" and IME candidate lists can track where you are. The previous painted-only caret was invisible to all three — an accessibility regression against RichEdit that this fixes.
• Only the lines on screen are laid out and lexed, so a 20,000-line file costs about what a 200-line one does.

Known limitations of the preview

• Dragging text within the editor is not supported yet. RichEdit supports it; the new control does not. Dropping a file onto the editor still opens it.
• Undo history is capped at 200 steps.

Not affected

The Output pane, the Problems list, the file:line:col jump, signing, sealing and the build toolchain are untouched by this release.

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Installs per-user, no admin required. Existing installs update in place via ≡ ▸ Check for Updates…, the About box, or the background check.