Why we are made to use some other editor to edit npp macros?

[V S Rawat]

if we edit windows appdata - shortcuts.xml file (which has macros) in npp,
that is overwritten when we close npp.

I think it is a bug and some specific command or options should be given to edit that file in npp and safely saving that.

Why do you want one to use some other editor just to edit npp specific macros?

[Scott Sumner]

@V-S-Rawat

I believe that as long as you don’t change any shortcuts using the “Shortcut Mapper” during the same run of Notepad++, that you can edit shortcuts.xml as much as you want with it.

In other words, use Notepad++ to edit shortcuts.xml. Then, quit and restart Notepad++. Then, use the Shortcut Mapper to adjust any mappings that you need to. Nothing will be overwritten/lost.

[PeterJones]

If that doesn’t work for you, you could copy shortcuts.xml to your desktop, edit that new copy, save, and exit Notepad++, then copy back from your desktop to the original directory (whether that’s your %AppData%\Notepad++\ or the same directory where notepad++.exe resides)