How do I get Notepad++ to launch my pages?

martha Sayers

Hello - new to Notepad++. I was using Web Matrix and decided to switch to Notepad++. I write in php and javascript etc. I tried “Run” but it doesn’t launch like it did in Web Matrix.
I have IIS Express 8. How do I do this?

Claudia Frank

Hello martha-Sayers

do you refer to the fact that you want to view your page using http://localhost…/mywebsite.php?
If so put the following into F5 inputbox and save it with a meaningful name.

INSTALLATION_PATH\MyBrowser.exe http://localhost…/$(FILE_NAME)

$(FILE_NAME) refers to the current active document, which of course must be saved
in the correct path (your serverroot/…)

If this wasn’t your question, then can you clarify what web matrix did and npp doesn’t)

Cheers
Claudia

martha Sayers

@Claudia-Frank said:

INSTALLATION_PATH\MyBrowser.exe http://localhost…/$(FILE_NAME)
Thank you for respomding…
Installation_path refers to what? where I have Notepad++ or my web documents?
$(FILE_NAME) would be $(Index.php)

Claudia Frank

@martha-Sayers said:

@Claudia-Frank said:

INSTALLATION_PATH\MyBrowser.exe http://localhost…/$(FILE_NAME)
Thank you for respomding…

Installation_path refers to what? where I have Notepad++ or my web documents?
Neither, the installation path of your webbrowser.

$(FILE_NAME) would be $(Index.php)
No, this is a variable which get resolved by notepad++ automatically to your current document.
If you edit index.php and it is the active document when running F5, $(FILE_NAME) gets automatically replaced
with index.php.

Cheers
Claudia

martha Sayers

@Claudia-Frank
I am still having problems launching my pages.
I created a directory under the default directory for NotePadd++ for my files.
I made sure all my web pages are associated with NotePad++ instead of Web Matrix 3.
I selected “Run” from the menu options and I entered the following line:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe http://localhost:14684/$(login.php)

and saved as RunMyWeb.php

localhost :14684 is what I see when I used Web Matrix.

Here’s what happens - nothing…it just sits there…
And I search for RunMyWeb.php and can not find it even though I clicked saved…
What am I misunderstanding???

Claudia Frank

Hello @martha-Sayers,

could it be that you didn’t setup a web server like apache, IIS etc…?
If not, then maybe WebMatrix has its own web server builtin but Notepad++ doesn’t.

The call itself is wrong
C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe http://localhost:14684/$(login.php)

Encase the call by double quotes like
“C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe” http://localhost:14684/$(login.php)
to prevent that windows thinksC:\Program is the program and the rest parameters.

$(login.php) variable doesn’t exist, as of npp, npp only knows $(FILE_NAME) and others.
I assume login.php is the webpage you edited and you want to view in the webbrowser, correct?
so you stick with the call

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" http://localhost:14684/$(FILE_NAME)

npp takes care that it gets replaced by the real name login.php. Npp will always uses the
current active documents name and replaces the $FILE_NAME variable with it.

After saving the Run configruation, the command appears now in the Run menu, I assume its the last entry.
If you want to modify its command you need to edit shortcuts.xml, there it is stored.

But, coming back to the webserver setup - if you didn’t have a webserver setup, than all of this won’t work.
Setting up one is easy, especially when using XAMPP, but you need to decide what you want.
You can load local webpages from IE or Firefox but as soon as you have server side scripts you need
something which can execute it and reports the resulting page back.

Cheers
Claudia

martha Sayers

oh, I see now. Thank you for being so patience. I am going to try to use XAMP.
I tried it before, using MySql, but I am using MS SQL. But I didn’t understand how to launch pages with it either. I am going to try it again. Thank you for your patience, it is appreciated.

Claudia Frank

@martha-Sayers

MYSql and MSSql are database servers, you can’t used it as webservers.
I would recommend you download XAMP together with XAMP Control Panel,
makes life even easier.
And if you have portableapps installed you could download it from there.
If you have problems setting it up let me know.

Cheers
Claudia