What Features Make Notepad++ Stand Out for Coding?

Michak

I’m considering switching to Notepad++ for coding, but I’d like to know what specific features make it a go-to choice for developers. Does it support multiple programming languages, and how customizable is it? Also, are there any lesser-known tips or plugins that can improve coding efficiency? Looking for insights from those who use Notepad++ regularly for their projects!

Ekopalypse

Deciding on a particular editor is like deciding on a car. Whether you like it depends largely on your own preferences.
In my opinion, Notepad++ (Npp) has no outstanding features for programmers that are not also offered by other editors.
On the contrary, it is the more modern editors like VSCode, Helix and Zed that are setting the new standards.
So why do I continue to use Npp?
Because I have optimized it for my workflow with plugins like PythonScript and NppLspClient, because I appreciate a fast editor and because I have learned to work with the shortcomings, that all editors have, or know that they don’t bother me.

If you are looking for a tool that you need to use professionally every day, for example because you are a C++ programmer, then I would recommend that you choose a tool that is explicitly made for this, such as Visual Studio, not VSCode, for C++ programmers.

Is it worth trying Npp in 2024?
Absolutely, you may or may not like it … as I said … personal preference.

Regarding your questions. It supports multiple programming languages via built-in and external lexers. Plugins can be written or used for customization. Without knowing your background, it is hard to say which plugins or techniques can help improve your coding efficiency. Where I think coding efficiency is not something that can be measured anyway. You may be just as effective with Notepad, from MS, as you are with Visual Studio… it ultimately depends on you and what you are doing.

Mark Olson

See also the discussion in this thread for more comparisons of Npp with other IDEs and text editors.

Lycan Thrope

@Michak said in What Features Make Notepad++ Stand Out for Coding?:

I’m considering switching to Notepad++ for coding, but I’d like to know what specific features make it a go-to choice for developers. Does it support multiple programming languages,

Yes, it does. Approx 80 natively, but it also has User Defined Language capability to write your own, if there isn’t an existing one. It’s somewhat limited in its abilities, versus a full blown lexer, but depending on your programming skills, you could write your own lexer to add to the existing list.

and how customizable is it?

In addition to what others have mentioned above and my previous mentions, you can also write or use plugins to enhance the experience.

Also, are there any lesser-known tips or plugins that can improve coding efficiency?

There are a lot of existing capabilities and plugins that can help you actually create your own IDE type environment to code with. Besides being able to custom color existing languages, and UDL languages, via the built in Preferences and Style Configurator, there is a plug in that helps extend those languages called EnhanceAnyLexer, that can be used and customised to handle language specific color-coding.

There is a built in capability for existing languages that shows program Functions in a view for navigating your code, as well as Project Panels, for help in organizing code files. It’s possible to use a script to build, make, compile your code files that can be executed from NPP, etc.

The customization is limited only by your ability and searching for an existing plugin that can do the job, or create your own.

Looking for insights from those who use Notepad++ regularly for their projects!

My project, was to make a language color-coded in NPP for dBASE Plus, similar in usuability to our coding community’s IDE editor, that users felt had certain limitations, and they wanted to use their chosen Text Editor (NPP) to be an alternative. During that project, I was able to create an alternate IDE as one feature I completed lead to another one and so on. With NPP’s built in capabilities, I was able to fashion an alternate for the coders that functions pretty well, with the exception of the visual elements. I also was able to point out to the community that certain plugins NPP has, could help enhance the abilities of the package I created if they wanted to add them in on their own…like the Snippets plugin for holding stock code skeletons to paste into the file, let alone the builtin Macro capability of NPP.

Interestingly, the native IDE editor, we use, is also based on the Scintilla/Lexilla libraries that Notepad++ is based on also, but NPP is modifiable via plugins and the open source code aspect that allows for further expansion and capabilities if so desired.

Put succinctly, Notepad++ is what you want to make of it. Period.