450 settings in columnizers tab are ignored

src/LogExpert.Configuration/ConfigManager.cs

@@ -328,7 +328,6 @@ public void RemoveFromFileHistory (string fileName)
         Save(SettingsFlags.FileHistory);
     }
 
-
     public void ClearLastOpenFilesList ()
     {
         lock (_loadSaveLock)
@@ -596,6 +595,9 @@ UnauthorizedAccessException or
 
     private static Settings InitializeSettings (Settings settings)
     {
+        // Apply any pending schema migrations before any consumer reads the settings.
+        _ = LegacyPreferencesMigrator.Migrate(settings);
+
         settings.Preferences ??= new Preferences();
         settings.Preferences.ToolEntries ??= [];
         settings.Preferences.ColumnizerMaskList ??= [];

src/LogExpert.Configuration/LegacyPreferencesMigrator.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+using LogExpert.Core.Config;
+
+namespace LogExpert.Configuration;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Applies one-shot, in-memory migrations to a freshly deserialised <see cref="Settings"/> object so that
+/// older settings files behave equivalently under newer schema versions. Idempotent: calling it on already
+/// up-to-date settings is a no-op.
+/// </summary>
+public static class LegacyPreferencesMigrator
+{
+    /// <summary>Current schema version. Bumped whenever a new migration step is added.</summary>
+    public const int CURRENT_SETTINGS_VERSION = 1;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Migrates the given <see cref="Settings"/> in place. Returns <see langword="true"/> if any
+    /// migration step was applied (the caller may use this signal to persist the upgraded settings).
+    /// </summary>
+    public static bool Migrate (Settings settings)
+    {
+        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(settings);
+
+        var changed = false;
+
+        if (settings.SettingsVersion < 1)
+        {
+            MigrateToV1(settings);
+            settings.SettingsVersion = 1;
+            changed = true;
+        }
+
+        return changed;
+    }
+
+    private static void MigrateToV1 (Settings settings)
+    {
+        // Existing ColumnizerMaskEntry rows pre-date the per-row Type field — they were regex-only.
+        // Their default-loaded value would be Glob, which would silently change behaviour. Rewrite to Regex.
+        if (settings.Preferences?.ColumnizerMaskList != null)
+        {
+            foreach (var entry in settings.Preferences.ColumnizerMaskList.Where(entry => entry != null))
+            {
+                entry.Type = MaskType.Regex;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Preserve the deprecated MaskPrio bool's intent on the new enum, but only if the enum is still
+        // at its default — otherwise the user has already chosen.
+#pragma warning disable CS0618 // Migrating away from MaskPrio
+        if (settings.Preferences != null
+            && settings.Preferences.ColumnizerSelectionPriority == ColumnizerSelectionPriority.HistoryThenMask
+            && settings.Preferences.MaskPrio)
+        {
+            settings.Preferences.ColumnizerSelectionPriority = ColumnizerSelectionPriority.MaskThenHistory;
+        }
+#pragma warning restore CS0618
+    }
+}

src/LogExpert.Core/Classes/Columnizer/ColumnizerMaskMatcher.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+using System.Text;
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
+
+using LogExpert.Core.Config;
+
+namespace LogExpert.Core.Classes.Columnizer;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Pure mask-matching for <see cref="ColumnizerMaskEntry"/>. Supports glob (<c>*</c>, <c>?</c>) and
+/// .NET regular expression patterns. Match is case-insensitive (file names on Windows are case-insensitive).
+/// </summary>
+/// <remarks>
+/// The matcher never throws — malformed input returns <see langword="false"/>. Glob translation rules:
+/// <list type="bullet">
+///   <item><c>*</c> → <c>.*</c></item>
+///   <item><c>?</c> → <c>.</c> (single character)</item>
+///   <item>Every other character is regex-escaped</item>
+///   <item>Result is anchored with <c>^…$</c></item>
+/// </list>
+/// </remarks>
+public static class ColumnizerMaskMatcher
+{
+    private const RegexOptions OPTIONS = RegexOptions.IgnoreCase | RegexOptions.CultureInvariant;
+
+    public static bool Matches (ColumnizerMaskEntry entry, string fileName)
+    {
+        if (entry == null || string.IsNullOrEmpty(entry.Mask) || string.IsNullOrEmpty(fileName))
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        var pattern = entry.Type == MaskType.Glob
+            ? GlobToRegex(entry.Mask)
+            : entry.Mask;
+
+        try
+        {
+            return Regex.IsMatch(fileName, pattern, OPTIONS);
+        }
+        catch (ArgumentException)
+        {
+            // Malformed regex (user-supplied) — treat as non-match rather than throwing.
+            return false;
+        }
+        catch (RegexMatchTimeoutException)
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static string GlobToRegex (string glob)
+    {
+        var sb = new StringBuilder(glob.Length + 4);
+        _ = sb.Append('^');
+
+        foreach (var ch in glob)
+        {
+            _ = ch switch
+            {
+                '*' => sb.Append(".*"),
+                '?' => sb.Append('.'),
+                _ => sb.Append(Regex.Escape(ch.ToString())),
+            };
+        }
+
+        _ = sb.Append('$');
+        return sb.ToString();
+    }
+}

src/LogExpert.Core/Classes/Columnizer/ColumnizerPicker.cs

@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public static class ColumnizerPicker
     /// Cannot be null.</param>
     /// <param name="list">The list of available columnizers to search. Cannot be null.</param>
     /// <returns>The first columnizer from the list whose name matches the specified value; otherwise, null if no match is found.</returns>
-    public static ILogLineMemoryColumnizer FindMemorColumnizerByName (string name, IList<ILogLineMemoryColumnizer> list)
+    public static ILogLineMemoryColumnizer FindMemoryColumnizerByName (string name, IList<ILogLineMemoryColumnizer> list)
     {
         ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(name, nameof(name));
         ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(list, nameof(list));

src/LogExpert.Core/Classes/Columnizer/ColumnizerResolver.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+using ColumnizerLib;
+
+using LogExpert.Core.Config;
+
+namespace LogExpert.Core.Classes.Columnizer;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Pure precedence-chain resolver that picks a columnizer for a given file from up to four sources: per-file
+/// persistence, columnizer history, columnizer-mask list, and AutoPick.
+/// </summary>
+/// <remarks>
+/// The exact order of consultation is controlled by <see cref="ColumnizerSelectionPriority"/>. AutoPick fires only when
+/// every other source produced <see langword="null"/>; it never outranks an explicit Mask, History, or Persistence hit.
+/// <para> Stale Mask entries — those whose <see cref="ColumnizerMaskEntry.ColumnizerName"/> is not registered — are
+/// skipped (an optional callback is invoked once per skipped entry) and resolution continues with the next entry in the
+/// list. </para>
+/// </remarks>
+public static class ColumnizerResolver
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns the winning columnizer for the inputs, or <see langword="null"/> if no source produced a match.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static ILogLineMemoryColumnizer? Resolve (ResolveInputs inputs)
+    {
+        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(inputs);
+
+        // Look up a columnizer by name with "no signal" semantics — returns null when the name is
+        // missing OR not registered, so the precedence chain falls through to the next source.
+        ILogLineMemoryColumnizer? byName (string? name) => string.IsNullOrEmpty(name) ? null : ColumnizerPicker.FindMemoryColumnizerByName(name, inputs.Registered);
+        ILogLineMemoryColumnizer? mask () => TryGetMaskColumnizer(inputs.MaskList, inputs.ShortFileName, inputs.Registered, inputs.OnStaleMaskEntry);
+        ILogLineMemoryColumnizer? history () => byName(inputs.HistoryLookup?.Invoke(inputs.FileName));
+        ILogLineMemoryColumnizer? persistence () => byName(inputs.PersistenceColumnizerName);
+
+        var winner = inputs.Priority switch
+        {
+            ColumnizerSelectionPriority.MaskThenHistory => persistence() ?? mask() ?? history(),
+            ColumnizerSelectionPriority.MaskOverridesPersistence => mask() ?? persistence() ?? history(),
+            ColumnizerSelectionPriority.HistoryThenMask => persistence() ?? history() ?? mask(),
+            _ => persistence() ?? history() ?? mask(),
+        };
+
+        return winner ?? inputs.AutoPick?.Invoke();
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Iterates the mask list and returns the first non-stale match. Entries whose columnizer is not registered invoke
+    /// <paramref name="onStale"/> and the iteration continues. Never throws.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static ILogLineMemoryColumnizer? TryGetMaskColumnizer (
+        IReadOnlyList<ColumnizerMaskEntry> maskList,
+        string shortFileName,
+        IList<ILogLineMemoryColumnizer> registered,
+        Action<ColumnizerMaskEntry>? onStale = null)
+    {
+        if (maskList == null || maskList.Count == 0 || string.IsNullOrEmpty(shortFileName))
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        foreach (var entry in maskList)
+        {
+            if (!ColumnizerMaskMatcher.Matches(entry, shortFileName))
+            {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+
+            // FindMemoryColumnizerByName returns null when the name isn't registered, which is
+            // exactly the "stale entry" signal we need.
+            var columnizer = ColumnizerPicker.FindMemoryColumnizerByName(entry.ColumnizerName, registered);
+            if (columnizer != null)
+            {
+                return columnizer;
+            }
+
+            onStale?.Invoke(entry);
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
+}

src/LogExpert.Core/Classes/Columnizer/ResolveInputs.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+using ColumnizerLib;
+
+using LogExpert.Core.Config;
+
+namespace LogExpert.Core.Classes.Columnizer;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Inputs to <see cref="Resolve"/>. Designed so the module is exercisable from unit tests with no
+/// dependency on settings storage, plugin registry singletons, or UI.
+/// </summary>
+public sealed class ResolveInputs
+{
+    public ColumnizerSelectionPriority Priority { get; init; }
+
+    /// <summary>The full path or identifier of the file being opened.</summary>
+    public string FileName { get; init; } = string.Empty;
+
+    /// <summary>The short (filename-only) form of <see cref="FileName"/>, used for mask matching.</summary>
+    public string ShortFileName { get; init; } = string.Empty;
+
+    public IReadOnlyList<ColumnizerMaskEntry> MaskList { get; init; } = [];
+
+    /// <summary>Lookup of a saved history columnizer name for <see cref="FileName"/>. May be <see langword="null"/>.</summary>
+    public Func<string, string?>? HistoryLookup { get; init; }
+
+    /// <summary>Columnizer name supplied by the per-file persistence (<c>.lxp</c>). May be <see langword="null"/>.</summary>
+    public string? PersistenceColumnizerName { get; init; }
+
+    /// <summary>AutoPick callback (e.g. content-based detection). May be <see langword="null"/>.</summary>
+    public Func<ILogLineMemoryColumnizer?>? AutoPick { get; init; }
+
+    public IList<ILogLineMemoryColumnizer> Registered { get; init; } = [];
+
+    /// <summary>Invoked once for each Mask entry that matched but referenced a missing columnizer.</summary>
+    public Action<ColumnizerMaskEntry>? OnStaleMaskEntry { get; init; }
+}

src/LogExpert.Core/Config/ColumnizerMaskEntry.cs

@@ -6,4 +6,10 @@ public class ColumnizerMaskEntry
     public string ColumnizerName { get; set; }
 
     public string Mask { get; set; }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// How <see cref="Mask"/> is interpreted. Defaults to <see cref="MaskType.Glob"/> for new entries;
+    /// the settings migrator rewrites pre-1.21 entries to <see cref="MaskType.Regex"/> to preserve behaviour.
+    /// </summary>
+    public MaskType Type { get; set; } = MaskType.Glob;
 }

src/LogExpert.Core/Config/ColumnizerSelectionPriority.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+using Newtonsoft.Json;
+using Newtonsoft.Json.Converters;
+
+namespace LogExpert.Core.Config;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Controls the precedence order used by the columnizer resolver when multiple sources
+/// (per-file persistence, history, mask list) could supply a columnizer for a file.
+/// </summary>
+[JsonConverter(typeof(StringEnumConverter))]
+public enum ColumnizerSelectionPriority
+{
+    /// <summary>Persistence → History → Mask → AutoPick (default — preserves legacy behaviour).</summary>
+    HistoryThenMask = 0,
+
+    /// <summary>Persistence → Mask → History → AutoPick.</summary>
+    MaskThenHistory = 1,
+
+    /// <summary>Mask → Persistence → History → AutoPick. A matching mask outranks the saved <c>.lxp</c> columnizer.</summary>
+    MaskOverridesPersistence = 2,
+}

src/LogExpert.Core/Config/ControlCharSettings.cs

@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
-using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Drawing;
-using System.Linq;
 
 using Newtonsoft.Json;
 
 namespace LogExpert.Core.Config;
 
+[Serializable]
 public sealed class ControlCharSettings
 {
     public bool Substitute { get; set; }
@@ -31,9 +30,10 @@ public ControlCharStyle Style
 
     internal static HashSet<int> BuildNonWhitespacePreset ()
     {
-        return Enumerable.Range(0x00, 0x20)
-            .Where(c => c is not 0x09 and not 0x0A and not 0x0D)
-            .Append(0x7F)
-            .ToHashSet();
+        return
+        [
+            .. Enumerable.Range(0x00, 0x20).Where(c => c is not 0x09 and not 0x0A and not 0x0D),
+            0x7F,
+        ];
     }
 }

src/LogExpert.Core/Config/ControlCharStyle.cs

@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
+using Newtonsoft.Json;
+using Newtonsoft.Json.Converters;
+
 namespace LogExpert.Core.Config;
 
+[JsonConverter(typeof(StringEnumConverter))]
 public enum ControlCharStyle
 {
     ControlPictures = 0,

src/LogExpert.Core/Config/MaskType.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+using Newtonsoft.Json;
+using Newtonsoft.Json.Converters;
+
+namespace LogExpert.Core.Config;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Determines how a <see cref="ColumnizerMaskEntry.Mask"/> string is interpreted when matching file names.
+/// </summary>
+/// <remarks>Serialized by name (e.g. "Glob"/"Regex"); the converter still reads legacy integer values.</remarks>
+[JsonConverter(typeof(StringEnumConverter))]
+public enum MaskType
+{
+    /// <summary>Glob pattern using <c>*</c> and <c>?</c> wildcards (default for new entries).</summary>
+    Glob = 0,
+
+    /// <summary>.NET regular expression syntax (legacy default; preserved by migration for pre-existing entries).</summary>
+    Regex = 1,
+}

src/LogExpert.Core/Config/MultiFileOption.cs

@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
-using System;
+using Newtonsoft.Json;
+using Newtonsoft.Json.Converters;
 
 namespace LogExpert.Core.Config;
 
 [Serializable]
+[JsonConverter(typeof(StringEnumConverter))]
 public enum MultiFileOption
 {
-    SingleFiles,
-    MultiFile,
-    Ask
+    SingleFiles = 0,
+    MultiFile = 1,
+    Ask = 2
 }