Selecting and tagging with custom tags

Brennan OBrien · Oct 24, 2022, 1:55 PM

Hey all – I’ve used N++ for years but never explored many of it’s deeper features, using it as a better find/replace in text files that default notepad.

I’ve got a project I’m working on that I have a feeling N++ can handle, but I’m not sure how exactly.

I have a set of custom tags I’m using for a project. What I want to be able to do is select portions of a text file, hit some key, and automatically add one of these tags to the start and end of the selected text. For example:

If I were to select this text:

lorem ipsum dolar sit amet

and hit a defined key combination, the result I would get is this:

<a>lorem ipsum dolar sit amet</a>

Is there some way to do this in N++? If not, does anyone have thoughts on how I could do it?

Thanks!

PeterJones · Oct 24, 2022, 2:06 PM

@Brennan-OBrien ,

Well, the easiest way is to install the HTML Tag Plugin, which has buttons which do just that.

But if you’re really thinking about the generic procedure, rather than the <a>...</a> wrapping specifically, you could record a macro:

Select Text
Macro > Start Recording
Cut (Ctrl+X or menu equivalent)
type <a>
paste (Ctrl+V or menu equivalent)
type </a>
Macro > Stop Recording
Macro > Save Current Recorded Macro
- optionally assign a keyboard shortcut that you will remember.

From then on, using that macro (from the Macro menu or from the keyboard shortcut) will place the selected text between <a>...</a>. Since the macro is saved in shortcuts.xml, it will still be available the next time your run Notepad++.

(Please note that this macro does clobber your current clipboard contents; if this bothers you, using the HTML Tag plugin will be better)

Online UserManual: Macro Overview: https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/macros/
Online UserManual: shortcuts.xml macro syntax: https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/config-files/#macros