Bookmark / pin files

jbb23

I have searched a number of posts using these terms but they don’t seem to address my question. I’d like to be able to pin or bookmark a handful of frequently used files so I can open them quickly.
Recently used files helps but sometimes I need a file that was not recently used enough, if I’m opening a lot of different files that day.
This could be in the file menu, like in MS Office applications, or in a separate menu. Is there a feature to do this? Thanks!

PeterJones

As far as I know, that functionality doesn’t exist natively in the File hierarchy or through a dockable window.

However, there are alternatives

There may be a plugin (either in Plugins Admin or available elsewhere) that has that functionality. I don’t know of one (I just checked: Bookmarks@Dook plugin is not for that style of bookmark – it manages the bookmarked lines in your file)
It should be doable in a variety of ways in one of the Scripting languages (PythonScript, LuaScript – both of which are in Plugins Admin – or externally through “PerlScript”)
Oh, right: It can actually be done natively, using either the Run menu and possibly the Right-Click Context Menu.

Run menu:
- Use Run > Run…, and enter "$(NPP_FULL_FILE_PATH)" "c:\path\to\FILE1.ext"
- Click Save and give it a name like Open FILE1, and possibly assign a shortcut. OK
- Repeat as necessary for your N favorite files
- Any added here will show up in the Run menu, with the names and shortcuts defined. They are stored in shortcuts.xml
Right-Click Context Menu: this will add your Run menu files into the right-click menu inside a file
- Use Settings > Edit Popup Context Menu
- Add in <Item ...> entries for each file
  - <Item MenuEntryName="Run" MenuItemName="FILE1"/> will run the FILE1 entry from the Run menu
  - If your context menu is crowded, create a subfolder , like <Item FolderName="PinnedFiles" MenuEntryName="Run" MenuItemName="FILE1"/>
- Save contextMenu.xml and restart Notepad++

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docs: contextMenu.xml = Context Menu = https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/config-files/#the-context-menu-contextmenu-xml
docs: shortcuts.xml = Run menu entries = https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/config-files/#keyboard-shortcuts-shortcuts-xml

PeterJones

While cleaning out my FILE1 testcase, I found “Open Useful File” in my UserDefinedCommands (Run-menu entries), which told me that about a month ago I answered a similar question. :-)

Michael Vincent

@jbb23

Try the Explorer Plugin from Plugin admin. It has a Favorites dockable.

Cheers.

David Shepherd

@jbb23 - an old post I know but this can be done in Windows 10 and likely other Windows editions.

In Windows Explorer, right-click on the file you’d like to pin. In the context menu, choose “Open With…”, then “Notepad++”.

Now, you can right-click on the Notepad++ icon (in the task bar, Start menu, etc.) and that file will appear with a pin beside it. Simply click the pin icon to pin it.

Repeat for each file you’d like to pin.

From here on out, any time you right-click the Notepad++ icon, the file(s) you pinned will be right there at the ready.

Enjoy!

BorisAdams

@David-Shepherd Worked for me - thanks. The first time, when I right-clicked from Windows Explorer I selected “edit”, and the file opened in Notepad++ but the file didn’t appear in the taskbar for np++. Then I went to “Open with…” and selected it, and got it in the taskbar, and can pin it - just as you say.