Importing Settings doesn't work

[bennyevangelista]

As in the title, from the Configure menu I exported a json settings file , when I try to import it I see the "settings imported" message, but no setting is loaded.

The json content seems correct, I see my highlighting settings and other options.

[Hirogen]

which version are you on?

[bennyevangelista]

I apologize, forgot to specify: v1.2.0 on windows10

[bennyevangelista]

In addition, I'm experiencing strange beahviour with the application: when I close it and open it again, I often (not always) find all settings gone. It's like the application has been reset...somehow. Honestly, I don't think this is application related , but I can't think of any system related reason causing the issue. I never experienced something like this with version 1.9.0 (the last one I used before moving to 1.20.0). Do you have any suggestion?

[AndisGrossteins]

@bennyevangelista This is a known issue in version 1.20.0 and fix is in the works. See issue #470.

You might try downloading and running the snapshot build scroll to the very end and look for "Snapshot-Release".

If you'd like to help with further troubleshooting, you can enable logging by dropping this NLog.config file in the LogExpert directory. Log will be written to C:\Temp\LogExpert\logs\logexpert.log (directory will be created) but you can edit the config file to change the path.
After reproducing the error, please post the relevant (ERROR|FATAL) log messages here.

[Hirogen]

I apologize, forgot to specify: v1.2.0 on windows10

what settings are not loaded? what is the value before and after loading? if a i import a settings.json, the settings are loaded and set to the settings in the json file, maybe a particular setting is missing?

another problem could be, that the loaded settings are overwritten by the settings that are stored in the "%appData%\logexpert folder

[slaslaster]

In addition, I'm experiencing strange beahviour with the application: when I close it and open it again, I often (not always) find all settings gone. It's like the application has been reset...somehow. Honestly, I don't think this is application related , but I can't think of any system related reason causing the issue. I never experienced something like this with version 1.9.0 (the last one I used before moving to 1.20.0). Do you have any suggestion?

Same problem. Almost every time I close the application, all settings are lost and I have to reimport them again. Also, a few times a day LogExpert crashes, and all settings are lost, so I need to reimport them again . 1.20.0.0/Windows 11
And one of the exported settings json cannot be applied again - and also 'Settings imported' windows appears showing that import worked.

[Hirogen]

hopefully fixed with #485

[AndisGrossteins]

I tried importing settings in the build from the last PR and import fails with Columnizer type 'Apache error log' not found.
The 'Apache error log' is a RegexColumnizer. Hard to tell which element it is because there are multiple references to that columnizer in the settings file.

Stack trace:

Error deserializing settings.json: Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializationException: Columnizer type 'Apache error log' not found.
   at LogExpert.Core.Classes.JsonConverters.ColumnizerJsonConverter.ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer) in D:\a\LogExpert\LogExpert\src\LogExpert.Core\Classes\JsonConverters\ColumnizerJsonConverter.cs:line 69
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.DeserializeConvertable(JsonConverter converter, JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Object existingValue)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.PopulateObject(Object newObject, JsonReader reader, JsonObjectContract contract, JsonProperty member, String id)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateObject(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerMember, Object existingValue)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateValueInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerMember, Object existingValue)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.PopulateObject(Object newObject, JsonReader reader, JsonObjectContract contract, JsonProperty member, String id)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateObject(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerMember, Object existingValue)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateValueInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerMember, Object existingValue)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.Deserialize(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Boolean checkAdditionalContent)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.DeserializeInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.Deserialize(JsonReader reader, Type objectType)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(String value, Type type, JsonSerializerSettings settings)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject[T](String value, JsonSerializerSettings settings)
   at LogExpert.Config.ConfigManager.LoadOrCreateNew(FileInfo fileInfo) in D:\a\LogExpert\LogExpert\src\LogExpert\Config\ConfigManager.cs:line 326

Also, the "Import Failed" dialog has only one button – "OK" but text mentions "YES" and "NO". I think I saw a Copilot comment about that discrepancy in the PR.

[AndisGrossteins]

The culprit in my case is on JSON path FilterParams.CurrentColumnizer.
Unfortunately, it also affects loading of settings and the recovery feature – loading from settings,json.bak – fails at the same point.

Verbatim NLog log file from last startup:

2025-11-06 01:17:12.7093 Started C:\Development\LogExpert_Snapshot-Debug\LogExpert.exe PID 14508 ver 1.20.0.0 at 11/06/2025 01:17:12
2025-11-06 01:17:12.6951|INFO|Program|
============================================================================
LogExpert 1.20.0 started.
============================================================================
2025-11-06 01:17:12.7256|INFO|LogExpert.Config.ConfigManager|### Load: Loading settings
2025-11-06 01:17:12.7256|INFO|LogExpert.Config.ConfigManager|### Load: Load settings standard mode
2025-11-06 01:17:12.7349|INFO|LogExpert.Config.ConfigManager|Loading settings from: C:\Users\andis\AppData\Roaming\LogExpert\settings.json
2025-11-06 01:17:13.2364|ERROR|LogExpert.Config.ConfigManager|Error deserializing settings.json: Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializationException: Columnizer type 'Apache error log' not found.
   at LogExpert.Core.Classes.JsonConverters.ColumnizerJsonConverter.ReadJson(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Object existingValue, JsonSerializer serializer) in D:\a\LogExpert\LogExpert\src\LogExpert.Core\Classes\JsonConverters\ColumnizerJsonConverter.cs:line 69
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.DeserializeConvertable(JsonConverter converter, JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Object existingValue)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.SetPropertyValue(JsonProperty property, JsonConverter propertyConverter, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerProperty, JsonReader reader, Object target)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.PopulateObject(Object newObject, JsonReader reader, JsonObjectContract contract, JsonProperty member, String id)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateObject(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerMember, Object existingValue)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateValueInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerMember, Object existingValue)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.SetPropertyValue(JsonProperty property, JsonConverter propertyConverter, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerProperty, JsonReader reader, Object target)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.PopulateObject(Object newObject, JsonReader reader, JsonObjectContract contract, JsonProperty member, String id)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateObject(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerMember, Object existingValue)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.CreateValueInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, JsonContract contract, JsonProperty member, JsonContainerContract containerContract, JsonProperty containerMember, Object existingValue)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.Serialization.JsonSerializerInternalReader.Deserialize(JsonReader reader, Type objectType, Boolean checkAdditionalContent)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.DeserializeInternal(JsonReader reader, Type objectType)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer.Deserialize(JsonReader reader, Type objectType)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(String value, Type type, JsonSerializerSettings settings)
   at Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject[T](String value, JsonSerializerSettings settings)
   at LogExpert.Config.ConfigManager.LoadOrCreateNew(FileInfo fileInfo) in D:\a\LogExpert\LogExpert\src\LogExpert\Config\ConfigManager.cs:line 326
2025-11-06 01:17:13.2364|WARN|LogExpert.Config.ConfigManager|Attempting to load from backup file: C:\Users\andis\AppData\Roaming\LogExpert\settings.json.bak
2025-11-06 01:17:13.3567|ERROR|LogExpert.Config.ConfigManager|Unexpected error: Columnizer type 'Apache error log' not found.
2025-11-06 01:17:13.3567|INFO|LogExpert.Config.ConfigManager|No settings file found, creating new default settings
2025-11-06 01:17:14.1256|INFO|LogExpert.Classes.LogExpertProxy|Adding window to list

I have already mentioned that the reason for the failure is that columnizers are not loaded yet during settings deserialization. Right now it's a bit of chicken/egg issue.

[Hirogen]

I tried importing settings in the build from the last PR and import fails with Columnizer type 'Apache error log' not found. The 'Apache error log' is a RegexColumnizer. Hard to tell which element it is because there are multiple references to that columnizer in the settings file.

Stack trace:

Also, the "Import Failed" dialog has only one button – "OK" but text mentions "YES" and "NO". I think I saw a Copilot comment about that discrepancy in the PR.

could you add your settings.json so i can test this probably in the evening